


In Hot Water

by BelladonnaVeilsin



Series: Bathing in Love [1]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Bath fun, Idiots in Love, M/M, mating instincts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:15:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 22,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25770460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelladonnaVeilsin/pseuds/BelladonnaVeilsin
Summary: Gray scowled. “I hate hot baths.”“Then you’ll really hate this.  The water has to be kept at a certain temperature the whole time.  And, as an Ice Mage, it is the right temperature to make your body weak.  That means you need someone with you to make sure you don’t drown or hurt yourself.”  Every word was said with ruthless practicality.“Can’t I get into a tub of acid instead?”  Because being weakened in front of someone and relying on them was too much for his pride.Lucy shifted from her seat beside his bed in the infirmary, leaning closer to put a comforting hand over one of Gray’s.  “Wait, that kind of precise temperature-controlled tub is hard to find.  How are we supposed to-”  Lucy stopped as Erza’s eyes slid over to the sulking pink-haired Dragonslayer in the corner.  “Oh, crap.”The Ice Mage felt sicker than when he’d walked in.  “No, I’ll take the acid.  It will hurt less.”Natsu, who hadn’t been paying attention, looked up at them.  “What kind of drama are you causing now, Ice Princess?”  With the horrified look he was receiving from Gray, the pitying gaze from Lucy, and Erza’s expectant stare, he knew he’d missed something important.  “What?”
Relationships: Natsu Dragneel/Gray Fullbuster
Series: Bathing in Love [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885552
Comments: 25
Kudos: 337





	1. Bath One

**Author's Note:**

> So, I’m applying a decent dose of Contrivium to the medical stuff at the beginning to get things rolling. Just had this idea nagging at me for a while now, so I’m writing it.

“You have to be kidding me!” Gray was sick, sure, but he didn’t like where this was going.

Erza sighed patiently. “They said you need to take a hot bath for an hour every day to help burn out the infection.”

Gray scowled. “I hate hot baths.”

“Then you’ll really hate this. The water has to be kept at a certain temperature the whole time. And, as an Ice Mage, it is the right temperature to make your body weak. That means you need someone with you to make sure you don’t drown or hurt yourself.” Every word was said with ruthless practicality.

“Can’t I get into a tub of acid instead?” Because being weakened in front of someone and relying on them was too much for his pride.

Lucy shifted from her seat beside his bed in the infirmary, leaning closer to put a comforting hand over one of Gray’s. “Wait, that kind of precise temperature-controlled tub is hard to find. How are we supposed to-” Lucy stopped as Erza’s eyes slid over to the sulking pink-haired Dragonslayer in the corner. “Oh, crap.”

The Ice Mage felt sicker than when he’d walked in. “No, I’ll take the acid. It will hurt less.”

Natsu, who hadn’t been paying attention, looked up at them. “What kind of drama are you causing now, Ice Princess?” With the horrified look he was receiving from Gray, the pitying gaze from Lucy, and Erza’s expectant stare, he knew he’d missed something important. “What?”

“I think they want you to start taking baths with Gray everyday,” Happy said. He was sitting on the chair beside Natsu.

The Dragonslayer stood up so abruptly his chair went flying. “What?! No! WHY?!”

With a snort of dark satisfaction, Gray said, “Who’s the drama queen now?” This would be Hell. A Hell he wasn’t allowed to freeze over.

“He needs to take a hot bath for an hour everyday. It will need to be constantly kept at a temperature that will make his body weak. We need someone to regulate the heat and keep him safe. You’re the only one qualified, Natsu.” Erza’s voice was flat, no room for argument.

So, Natsu argued. “But maybe Macao could deal with this, he can make fire.”

“He hasn’t got your absolute sense of temperature.” The knight wasn’t budging.

Lucy spoke up. “Hey, Erza said you used to bathe together when you were little. And you get along at least a little better now, sorta, right? And Gray is always losing his clothes, so no big deal.”

Wrong. It was a big deal. Natsu wasn’t a stupid stripper, so he was always fully clothed when Gray was almost naked. It made it easier. Because it was important for the Dragonslayer to push back the instincts that had been building over the past couple of years. If he started giving in, he was finished. The ice cube wasn’t looking for that kind of attention from Natsu, and he wouldn’t be responsible for breaking up the team.

Wrong. Big deal. If Gray’s body was weakened and Natsu took care of him, he was afraid other feelings might surface. He’d tried denying how he felt about the flame-brained idiot, but finally admitted to himself that he had become more than fond of the Dragonslayer. But as long as he was the only one who knew, it wouldn’t be a problem.

Erza wore her stern Demon Face as she said, “It is unacceptable for Gray to remain ill, and if this is what he needs, then, as his teammate, you will support him, Natsu.”

The same face was turned on Gray. “Your illness is keeping us from taking jobs together, so your job is to take care of yourself and get better. If you need Natsu’s help to recover, then you will accept it.”

Both young men started sweating in fear. “Aye!” Natsu said in his best cheerful Happy impersonation.

“Yes, ma’am.” Gray just ducked his head to avoid holding that gaze any longer.

It was like storm clouds clearing from the sun as Erza’s face filled with a pleased smile. “Good! I’m so happy you two are getting along.”

Lucy, on the sidelines, sighed. There was a high potential for this to go horribly wrong. “When do they start this ‘treatment’?”

“I would think the sooner the better. Maybe this evening before Gray goes to bed.”

“Uh, it’s already past seven.” The Celestial Mage pointed at the clock on the wall.

“Perfect! Natsu can take Gray home.”

“Oooh! I want to see where Gray lives!” Happy grew wings to circle above them in excitement.

Catching the stricken looks on both the boy’s faces, Lucy said, “How about you let them take their bath in peace? You could come hang out at my house. I’ll even buy you a fish.”

Nothing else needed saying as the cat flew into her chest, nuzzling and giving her lovey eyes. Natsu and Gray also gave her grateful looks. When their gazes turned to each other, the atmosphere in the room grew unstable as their individual anxiety unconsciously fluctuated the temperature around them.

Before a storm could build, Lucy said, “Come on, Happy! We can all leave so Natsu can take Gray home. Erza, when Mirajane was talking about what to make for dessert earlier, I suggested strawberry cake. Might be worth seeing what she decided on.”

The armored woman’s eyes lit up. She simply told Gray, “Get better,” before dashing out of the infirmary.

Lucy smiled as she held the swooning cat and headed to the door. “Try to play nice, boys, okay?”

After she left, Natsu said, “She’s amazing.”

Feeling the slightest twinge of jealousy, Gray replied, “Yeah, don’t know what we’d do without her.” He tried to get out of the bed, but his legs were less than steady. “Damn.”

Natsu was at his side a moment later. “Didn’t you walk in by yourself?”

“Yeah, well, I feel way worse than when I walked in.”

“Me too, and I wasn’t sick to start with.” Natsu eyed him. “But I bet you were acting tough so Erza wouldn’t see how sick you really are.”

Gray was startled as Natsu slid an arm around him and put Gray’s arm over his shoulder. “What makes you say that?” He _had_ taken medicine to suppress his cough and something to lower his fever. It was the fever that was the biggest problem, and the bath was supposed to burn it out so he could get back to his normally chilly self.

“It’s what I would have done. If this was how pushy she got from how sick you seem now, no one wants to deal with how bad she’d get if she knew that you’re worse than you look.” Natsu pulled the Ice Mage out of the infirmary. When they passed out of the main hall to leave the guild, Erza’s attention was thankfully fixed solely on a slice of cake.

They didn’t speak on the walk to Gray’s house, each mired in their own private worries. Neither was looking forward to the coming hour-long soak. Gray unlocked the door and let them in, and Natsu was immediately alarmed.

“Holy crap, Gray! You must be more excited for this than I thought if you’re actually naked the second we get inside!”

The Ice Mage’s face burned. He forgot that keeping his underwear on was something he did in public. At home, if he lost his clothes, he tended to lose _all_ of his clothes. “Whatever. Let’s get this over with.”

With no more discussion, the got into the bathroom to start the bath. Gray started washing right away, but he noticed in his peripheral vision that Natsu was slow about taking his clothes off. He was shaking a little as he carefully folded his scarf and set it on his clothes. The pink-haired man hesitated a moment longer before he started cleaning himself.

“You never feel actually naked until you take that off, right?” While Natsu’s neck was a rare sight, it was usually accompanied by the scarf becoming a headband. Gray was willing to bet Natsu never fully took off his scarf outside of the comfort zone of his home.

Stiffening slightly, the Dragonslayer said, “No. It’s…uncomfortable to be without it.”

Gray reached up behind his neck to undo the clasp of his necklace. He put it on the same shelf as Natsu’s clothes. “There. Now we’re both naked.”

That got him a small smile. But they said nothing else as they finished washing. Once Gray rinsed off and went to fill the tub, he hesitated. “Um, did Erza mention the precise temperature it needs to be at? I didn’t hear her say it.”

“She didn’t.” Natsu sounded thoughtful as he said, “I can figure it out though. Just start with the hottest you normally have it.”

As the water flowed, Gray couldn’t help but stare at the relatively small tub. They could either take opposite ends and not fully extend their feet to avoid any unintentional footjobs, or they could sit facing the same direction, one between the other’s legs. Both sounded awkward and uncomfortable.

When the tub was full, Natsu dipped a hand in. “Holy crap, Ice Princess, this is barely above room temperature!” The Dragonslayer slid in with a slight shiver. “I’m going to start warming it up. Get in.”

Natsu seemed to have been thinking along the same lines as Gray, because he sat with his legs drawn up enough to leave some room for the dark-haired man. When Gray settled in, the water was already hotter than he preferred, getting hot enough to steam within moments. “Hey, how will you know it’s not too hot?”

“Erza said it would weaken you,” Natsu said as the temperature continued to climb, and Gray started to move, muscles tense with discomfort. “She said it was specific. That means anything hotter and you’d be writhing in agony, and anything less would leave you just uncomfortable like you are now. Which means ‘just right’ is…there!”

He said the last word right after all of Gray’s muscles relaxed, and he started to topple sideways. Natsu leaned forward to grab him before his face hit the water. And while the Dragonslayer was trying to prop him up in the corner of the tub, the Ice Mage was panicking. Erza said, “weaken”, but this was immobilizing. His body wasn’t obeying his commands.

“Can you move at all?” Natsu asked. Gray kept sliding down into the water, despite his best efforts. It was worrying to have the normally strong man behaving like a limp noodle. He didn’t like seeing any of his friends weak like this. But Gray brought out deeper protective urges that Natsu couldn’t afford to ignore. If he didn’t take care of the popsicle, he would drown.

“No,” Gray said, and he knew his voice was unsteady. Any other time he couldn’t move, it was due to fatigue or injury. This…was calm. Relaxed. And that somehow scared him more than knowing he was in a fight at the mercy of some enemy. “Natsu, my muscles don’t work.” The intense heat burning through him seemed unimportant next to that fact.

The sound of his name coming from Gray in that tone of voice struck something, and Natsu gave up trying to keep Gray at a comfortable distance. He maneuvered the limp body to sit between his legs. After a few vain attempts to hold the icicle’s waist or something to keep him up independent of Natsu, the Dragonslayer chose the hardest option. He carefully leaned Gray back to rest on Natsu’s chest. It felt too right.

“You’re okay. I won’t let you drown; I’ll keep you safe.”

Even more surprising than the instant comfort that gave him was the fact that Natsu was whispering those words in a soothing tone in the first place. It was…affectionate. It made Gray feel special and cared for. It felt so good that it hurt. “Um, are you feeling okay, Natsu?”

Uh, oh, Natsu had slipped and Gray had noticed. How to explain away his Mating instincts? “The water makes you weak; it makes me a little weird. Don’t worry.”

“So the exact temperature to weaken me is also exactly right to affect you? Why don’t I believe you?” Because Gray knew Natsu was full of crap. The Dragonslayer hadn’t gotten so gentle until Gray was in obvious danger and distress.

“Because you have nothing but a big block of ice between your ears.” How to make Gray drop it? “Look, it’s a Fire Dragonslayer thing, just leave it at that.”

They were quiet for a while before Gray said, “Please tell me you looked at a clock when we got in. I forgot to.” He hated feeling like he was being boiled, and he couldn’t wait to get out.

The pink-haired man grinned. “We’ve only been in for twenty-seven minutes, so you might as well settle down.”

A groan escaped the Ice Mage. Then a slight cough. Crap, the medication must be wearing off. Further coughing supported that theory. It surprisingly calmed down as a broad callused hand slipped between them to slide up and down his back soothingly. A different kind of groan came out.

It was a good thing Gray seemed to be unable to get hard, because with Natsu being so fucking _nice_ and tactilely affectionate, he wouldn’t be able to fully control himself. He wanted to keep his feelings to himself, and even when he was only physically weakened, Natsu’s treatment made him feel emotionally weak. He wanted to tell him.

Fuck, it was hard to keep calm when Gray made noises like that. He’d just wanted to calm the coughing but then Gray groaned and made little satisfied noises like if Natsu was petting some domestic animal. He was pretty sure the Ice Mage didn’t realize, or he would have stopped by now. The Dragonslayer didn’t point that out because he didn’t want him to stop.

The disaster Natsu had predicted was already beginning. He liked taking care of his Mate. He never wanted to stop; he’d take care of Gray forever. But that sort of possessive protective behavior wasn’t something he could hide. If he gave into those feelings his Ice Princess would find out and reject him. And it was easier having a Mate who had no clue as opposed to one who will blatantly never return your feelings. Not to mention the guild would find out. Gajeel already gave Natsu knowing looks when the Fire Dragonslayer was interacting with Gray.

Even being cooked by the heat, it was far too comfortable to lie there against Natsu and have his back rubbed. He really needed to do something to establish the lie that he wasn’t enjoying this. After he closed his eyes for a second. Just one second.

Gray’s breathing evened out, to Natsu’s great surprise. Here he was about as vulnerable as he could be with his life-long rival around, and he felt safe enough to fall asleep. A warmth grew in the Dragonslayer’s chest that had nothing to do with fire. But he wouldn’t take advantage of his Mate’s unconscious state. Trust was important.

Well…Natsu slid a hand into that dark hair to card through it gently. And if he briefly nuzzled his face in to take in that scent, he wasn’t hurting anyone. Petting his Mate’s hair and rubbing his back wasn’t taking advantage. It was care. Gray was sick.

After an hour had passed, Natsu let both hands fall away from his Mate so he could wake him. “Hey, Ice Princess. Wake up. We can get out now.”

When had he fallen asleep? Before he even opened his eyes he noted that his back and scalp were tingling. Sure, Natsu had rubbed his back to ease his coughing, but there was no reason to touch his head. Maybe it was just the heat getting to him.

The tub started draining, and as the water level fell, Gray felt himself regaining motor control. More surprisingly, he felt _good_. His chest wasn’t tight, and his body temperature was quickly dropping closer to normal levels. Had one bath with Natsu cured him?

It would be ideal. This was dangerous territory, being cared for and soothed by his rival and friend. Especially since Gray knew he felt more for Natsu than he should.

Natsu pushed Gray upright, because without the water adding buoyancy, more of that rapidly cooling skin was coming into contact with him, and he wasn’t a saint. If he got excited, Gray would notice and there was no explaining that away. “Can you move yet?”

“Starting to.” Gray pushed himself up a little, annoyed when his arms wouldn’t support him, and he fell back onto the Dragonslayer.

The pink-haired man pushed the Ice Mage off in a minor panic. “Hey, you’re heavy without the water; watch it!”

“Don’t be such a wuss, you can take it.” This was a little more comfortable and familiar. Of course, Natsu had to ruin it a moment later.

“Come on, let’s dry you off and get you in bed.”

Gray knew his body temperature rose slightly at that, and not because of any sickness. He knew Natsu meant taking care of him, not sleeping with him, but it sounded suggestive to Gray. He was pulled to his feet moments later. After a few moments of being steadied as his legs regained movement, he was let go.

“Let me get some towels.” Natsu returned after a few moments and gave one to Gray. The Ice Mage was relieved that he was capable of drying himself; he didn’t need Natsu rubbing all over his body.

Without being asked, and much to Gray’s embarrassment, Natsu offered a hand to help the dark-haired man climb out of the tub without falling. He took it only because it would be more humiliating to fall. It was weird how nice the Dragonslayer was being with all of this. And there was no blaming the temperature of the water now.

Sure, Gray was friend and family to Natsu, but so was everyone in Fairy Tail. But the way Natsu treated Gray made him feel…special. And that was going to hurt. “You know you don’t have to help me with everything.”

Natsu kept screwing up. After swearing he wouldn’t let his instincts get the best of him, he kept indulging in them and letting too much show. He looked away from Gray and got dressed as he said, “And what do you think Erza will do to me if I let you fall and hurt yourself? She said that I was supposed to keep you safe after you were weakened.”

He had put his scarf on first, and, while it was an immense relief, Natsu was surprised to find that he hadn’t felt as horribly exposed as he normally would removing it outside of the safety of his den. It made sense though; Mates were trusted.

It made slightly more sense that fear of Erza would drive Natsu to this, but…it didn’t feel at all hesitating or perfunctory. It felt like Natsu _wanted_ to do this. But that was undoubtedly wishful thinking. Gray wanted the pink-haired idiot to want him, and he was projecting.

The stripper didn’t go looking for clothes, just wrapped a towel around his waist. As he passed Natsu to leave the bathroom, he said, “Want some dinner? Not your usual feast, but I might as well give you something before I kick you out.”

“Yes!” Natsu said reflexively, although a moment later his mind caught up and told him it was a bad idea. Letting his Mate feed him would only feed his instincts and make it harder to ignore them. But it would be more suspicious to pass up free food, right?

He heard the Ice Mage chuckle as he walked to the kitchen. Natsu was fully dressed, but he noticed the necklace still on the shelf. He picked it up before he followed. “Hey, you forgot this.”

When he saw his necklace in Natsu’s hand, he reflexively felt on his chest for the cross. How had he not noticed it missing? He’d taken it off because it was a bit like Natsu’s scarf; he always wore it. But he hadn’t felt the discomfort and nakedness at all. “Thanks.” He put it on and felt better, even if he hadn’t felt the missing weight.

“Hey! It’s great to put on your necklace, but you don’t have to take off the towel! I know I call you a streaker but come on!”

Blushing, Gray glanced around and found his towel on the floor to his left. After securing it around his waist again, he said, “I can’t streak in my own home, Natsu. I’m going to make some sandwiches so you can leave.” Because, while he wasn’t always naked in his house, he had a feeling that as long as Natsu was there, he wouldn’t be able to keep any clothes on for long.

Good God, was Gray allergic to the towel?! He’d lost it five times in the course of making three sandwiches, and Natsu had to point out every time it went missing. It was bad for the Dragonslayer’s resolve, watching his Mate make food naked. Why not just beg to be thrown down and ravished?

When he set down two sandwiches in front of Natsu and one in front of his own place, Gray hoped that Natsu would be reliable enough to eat and run. That little food would likely make him hungrier, so that should help.

Surprisingly, Natsu devoured his food at a more reasonable pace than normal. Gray stayed silent as he ate his own sandwich, and it got awkward as Natsu lingered after his food was gone. “So…I’m going to bed so you need to leave.” It came out a little harsher than intended, and he caught the Dragonslayer looking stung as he turned to the door. “But thanks for this. I feel a lot better.” Even from behind, the way Natsu’s posture changed was like a puppy perking up after being praised. It was adorable.

Natsu left almost with a spring in his step. He was good at taking care of his M-of Gray. Sighing, he reminded himself that he couldn’t let himself think of the Ice Mage that way. If he let himself get into that mindset, he wouldn’t be able to get back out, and it would all be downhill from there. There would be no stopping his desire and efforts to court Gray, and he would end up rejected. The team would be hurt too.

No, he needed to keep reminding himself that Gray was a rival, a friend, a teamMate. No, no kind of Mate. A team member. If he could keep that fixed in mind, maybe this wouldn’t end in disaster.


	2. Bath Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of fun drama, conflict, and a large helping of smut. At least, compared to the first chapter it’s large. And I suppose there’s plenty of fluff too, but if the first chapter was a soft little lamb, this is an adult sheep with a light haircut. XD Natsu’s instincts are really taking hold.
> 
> JaciSerigala mentioned that Gray should weaken more gradually, which was the original plan. But when Erza didn’t give them the temperature and Natsu had to figure it out by the reaction as he brought the heat up degree by degree, “slow cook” was out the window since “instant noodle” was the most discernible reaction to that precise temperature before it kept going up.

Gray woke up the next morning coughing. Crap. There went the hope that one bath had cured him. He debated not going to the guild that day for all of a minute before deciding against it. If he wanted a good meal, that was where he went, and he was starving. The fact that he’d likely run into Natsu was daunting, but it wasn’t like he could avoid him forever anyway.

Of course, when he got there, Natsu, Lucy, and Happy were all sitting together already. And when he grabbed his breakfast, it would be more awkward to avoid them and sit somewhere else. So he settled next to Lucy, hoping this wouldn’t go badly.

“So, it seems like you’re both alive and Gray’s house didn’t burn down. Good job, I’m proud of you boys,” Lucy said with a teasing smile. She nudged into Gray a little with a laugh, making him smile despite himself. Her joke cut through any remaining awkward tension.

“Lucy and I had a Go Fish tournament, although it isn’t as tasty as it sounds,” Happy said.

“Hey, I got you a fish! And you got a treat for every round you won.”

Happy stuck his tongue out. “A small fish.”

“If I have to get a big fish for you every night since Natsu and Gray are busy, I’d go broke, you ungrateful cat. Another small fish tonight and more treats for prizes. It’s better than no fish, no treats, and no games, right?” Lucy folded her arms and stared down the small cat.

She didn’t need to worry. “Another fish tonight?! I love you, Lucy!” Once again, the cat dove onto her from across the table to nuzzle into her chest.

All three of them were laughing by now, although Lucy said, “You pervy cat.” She just stroked Happy’s head though and made no move to pull him off.

“Thanks for letting him stay with you, Luc,” Natsu said. “What kind of treats are you giving him?”

“Uhhh…” Lucy looked suddenly nervous.

Gray caught on right away. “Cat treats, right? Shaped like fish?”

When she cringed a little, Happy and Natsu both got irritated with her. “Hey, I’m not a pet!”

“Happy is our friend, why would you feed him pet food?”

“You said they were delicious, Happy! And you, Natsu, you’re such a pig that food is food. You’d probably like them too.” Lucy stuck her tongue out at the Dragonslayer.

The Ice Mage couldn’t hold back a laugh as he saw Natsu considering how a cat treat would taste. But it turned into a hacking cough that his medicine had hidden the day before. “Gray, did you get worse?” Lucy asked, rubbing a hand on his back.

Jealousy rose in Natsu at Lucy trying to take care of his Mate. No, not his Mate. Gray. He couldn’t afford to slip into that mindset. “He was just covering it with medicine yesterday.”

“What?” The one flat, cold word coming out of the deadly aura lurking behind Natsu had him sweating in fear on instinct. Across from him, Gray’s eyes were wide as his cough calmed.

Before either could speak in their defense, they were both unceremoniously hauled to the infirmary, and Natsu could hear the other guild members jeering at the clear sign of imminent punishment. Jerks.

“What is this about you hiding symptoms, Gray?”

“I told the doctor when he asked what medicine I had taken. I wasn’t hiding anything!” Gray had his hands up in surrender.

Natsu flinched as Erza rounded on him. “And did you do what I told you last night, or are you lying about that too?”

“No! We took the hot bath for an hour, just like you said.”

Gray nodded vigorously. “My cough came back when the medicine wore off, but it was gone by the time we were done. I felt a lot better; my fever even went down. I just woke up with the cough again, that’s all.”

“And so tonight…?” Erza prompted.

“I’ll head to Gray’s house again for the bath. Promise.”

“Good. See that you do.” And the knight marched out.

“She’s bad for my health,” Gray said.

“I heard that,” Erza called.

Natsu laughed as Gray let out a squeak. He was adorable. Once Erza was far enough away, he said, “So, looks like you’re walking okay. When we left here last night you were having trouble.”

The honest concern from the Dragonslayer was a little confusing. Sure, in the more intimate setting of Gray’s home and bathroom with Natsu being charged with taking care of him questions about his well-being made sense. Right now, that tone and sidelong glance of worried eyes seemed…too good to be true.

“Yeah, that was when my fever was getting higher. Even if my cough is back, the fever isn’t as bad as it was. Thanks.” Before the conversation could become more uncomfortable, Gray said, “We should probably get back to Lucy and Happy. I want to finish my breakfast before it gets cold.”

As they walked back into the main room Natsu made a face at him. “Don’t you like it cold, Ice Princess?”

“You’d probably eat it burnt. A flame-brain like you doesn’t have any taste.” This was comfortable, familiar, and it was hard not to smile.

They were back at the table when Natsu said, “Just go spit some ice cubes like when you switched bodies with Lucy.”

Lucy snickered at that as the two boys sat down and Gray said, “At least I wasn’t drooling fire like some gross monster.”

“Wanna say that again?” Natsu could really go for a fight, even if Gray hadn’t finished his breakfast.

“I said-” Gray couldn’t finish as he started coughing.

Natsu’s face fell as Lucy said, “Okay, time-out. No brawling while Gray is sick.”

The familiar smell of metal got closer before Natsu heard, “Aw, but how are they supposed to show they love each other then?”

Determinedly not looking at Gray as he knew his face was flaming up, Natsu growled. “Get lost, Rivet Face. Go get something useful pierced, like your brain.”

A dark chuckle had Natsu standing to face the other Dragonslayer. Gajeel had recognized that Gray was Natsu’s Mate. That’s why he was having so much fun; because he knew he was right and that Natsu was hiding it from Gray.

“Well, it would help you catch up to me, but I’ll pass. Besides, the Ice Princess might choose me if I was stupid like you. I’d still be better looking.”

A deeper growl rumbled through the Fire Dragonslayer as he said, “Hey, he’s my Pr-Only I get to call him that! You’re so full of shit, Gajeel; I’m surprised you breathe metal and not poop.”

That drew a number of laughs from the surrounding guild members, including Gray, Happy, and Lucy behind him. Now the Metal Dragonslayer looked more serious. “Say that again.”

Before he could, Gray started coughing behind him. “Hey, take it outside, guys. Let Gray eat his breakfast in peace,” Lucy said. It had a ring of Erza’s authority that had Natsu scowling.

“Fine, outside. I’ll show you what a real Dragonslayer looks like.”

His cough calmed again as Natsu and Gajeel glare-marched out of the guild hall. It made him jealous; he wanted to fight with Natsu. Since the Metal Dragonslayer had joined, he had become the Fire Dragonslayer’s fiercest rival. Gray and Natsu still fought, but it was far more friendly and casual, if no less earnest and persistent, than it had been. Neither held any real animosity towards the other, and everyone could tell.

“I’m gonna make sure they don’t kill each other,” Happy said. He sprouted wings and flew after his best friend.

“Wow, Natsu’s pretty territorial about you, isn’t he?” Lucy asked once he started eating. “Sounded like Gajeel wanted to date your or something. Natsu wouldn’t tolerate that.” Gray choked at her words, and she said, “Oh, but if you wanted to, he obviously couldn’t stop you. You okay?”

Gray tried to calm himself as his cough from choking became the hacking cough of his sickness. Lucy’s hand rubbed his back, but it just made him miss how Natsu had touched him the night before. When he could finally speak, he said, “I don’t want to date that idiot. But Natsu isn’t interested in me either.”

Lucy tilted her head, confused. “I didn’t say he was. I just meant that he didn’t like Gajeel using the nickname Natsu usually teases you with. You’re _his_ to pick on and squabble with. Kind of nice that he’d defend you against Metal Head.”

Knowing it was red, Gray kept his face firmly pointed at his plate. “Yeah. Nice.”

When Lucy started to study him intently, he realized he’d probably sounded a bit too depressed when he said that. And the girl had some uncanny intuition sometimes. Like the night before, she could read the situations between him and Natsu and respond accordingly. He didn’t need her reading into why Natsu being his friend might depress him.

(-)

It wasn’t fair! He and Gajeel had barely got started when Erza broke them up. He hadn’t realized that the Metal Dragonslayer hadn’t had a fight stopped by the Fairy Queen before, because while Natsu immediately yielded to the terrifying woman, Gajeel needed Erza to explain her authority to him. Physically. It was fun to watch, and when Metal Head was lying stunned in the dirt, Natsu broke off a cheer when Erza turned to glare at him. Hands up in surrender, he and Happy went to fish.

They only caught one, which the cat immediately ate, and Natsu was getting hungry himself. He headed back to the guild hall…and saw something that made his blood boil. Juvia, who had been out on a job, was sitting on a chair beside Gray, pulled in close and fawning over him.

With his enhanced ears, Natsu could hear from the door what she was saying. “-be happy to nurse you back to health, my love. If you need water controlled, there is no one better suited than Juvia. I promise I won’t burn you like when we first met.”

A deep growl rumbled through him, loud enough that Cana and Elfman turned to look at him, and Macao glanced over. “Natsu?” Happy asked, his tone uncertain.

Not bothering with any of them, the Dragonslayer marched over to the Ice Mage and Rain Woman. “Hey.” He couldn’t think of anything else to say that wasn’t overtly aggressive.

Juvia responded immediately, standing up and giving him a look usually reserved for Lucy. “Love Rival!” she accused.

It was a bit too loud, and Natsu saw Gray turn bright red. “Keep your voice down; are you trying to embarrass Gray?”

“Of course not!” she said in more of an undertone. “But I see through your plans to steal my beloved from me!”

This crazy bitch was really pushing it. Gray didn’t belong to Juvia. He was Natsu’s. Only. She would only get him if she pried the Ice Mage from Natsu’s cold, dead hands, and since he’d reduce her to water vapor before he let her touch his Mate, Juvia was out of luck.

“Natsu, you’re going to start burning things,” Lucy said quietly. When he calmed the flames that had been gathering around him, she said to Juvia, “This is something Erza ordered them to do. If you want to fight Erza over this, be my guest.”

The Rain Woman looked frustratedly between the two mages and then at Gray. “So she conspires with both my rivals to rob me of Gray. I won’t let you have him.”

“He isn’t yours,” Natsu said through clenched teeth. He knew he was losing control, that he was revealing far too much, but her attempts to intrude on his territory would not be tolerated.

“Juvia, why don’t you and I go shopping? I saw a dress the other day that I thought would be perfect for you. Blue like the ocean and wavy. Come on, it’ll be fun.” Lucy was an angel.

Clearly torn between her animosity towards Lucy as a rival and her friendship with her that was surprisingly close considering the former issue, Juvia seemed to decide when she met Natsu’s blazing gaze. She pouted and looked away. “Fine. Maybe Gray will like it.”

Natsu had to fight down a growl. Especially when she turned and said, “Goodbye for now, my love.”

He watched them both until they were out of the guild hall. Then, behind him, Gray said, “Um…wonder how she found out about that? She came right up to me and started talking about it. We know Erza, Lucy, and Happy didn’t tell her, and the doctor can’t talk about it, so…”

Taking a deep calming breath, Natsu sat at the table across from Gray. “I don’t know. Not like anyone was listening through the infirmary door…” The Dragonslayer trailed off as he felt the heavy weight of a pointed gaze. He turned to look behind him and met Gajeel’s amused eyes. The smirk and little wave were a clear message at who was to blame for the leak. “That prick…”

“Natsu!” The pink-haired man turned back at Gray’s alarmed tone. Was his Mate okay? “You’re gonna break the table if you don’t calm down.”

He hadn’t realized he’d been clutching onto the edge of the table. “It was Gajeel. Probably bitter that I watched Erza hand his ass to him.”

Gray glanced over Natsu’s shoulder at the Metal Dragonslayer. “So he set Juvia on you by making her think she had more competition.” When Natsu just nodded, not trusting himself to speak, Gray added, “Thanks for stepping in. I don’t want to be mean to her, but she’s just so overwhelming.”

“Anytime,” Natsu said immediately. “Really. If she’s bothering you, I’ll _make_ her leave you alone.”

He probably said it a little _too_ fervently since Gray’s eyes were wide. Then he blushed a little. “Thanks, but you know she’s definitely going to see you as a Love Rival then.”

“Let her.” He was, except for the fact that she couldn’t rival him. Gray was _his_ Mate, and she was a stupid infatuated girl.

The Ice Mage began coughing, snapping the Dragonslayer from his brooding. “Want me to get you some medicine from the infirmary?”

Shaking his head, Gray stood up. “I think I’m gonna head home. See you around seven?”

Natsu felt a blush rise in his cheeks but looked down at his hands to try and hide it. “Yeah. See you then.”

(-)

His whole walk home, all Gray could think about was the incident with Juvia. He’d seen Natsu mad before, but what happened was on a different level. Like something had crawled under Natsu’s skin and was influencing his behavior. Because he was like a man possessed, clearly out of control on a level Gray had never seen, not even when they were children.

And the way he behaved…Gray still felt a bit flustered thinking about it. It was…primal. Natsu was like a dragon and Juvia was an intruder on his territory. His territory, in this instance, was apparently Gray. It was clearly some weird Dragonslayer thing, supported by the fact that Gajeel had instigated it to push Natsu’s buttons very specifically.

But…having all of Natsu’s behavior scream that Gray belonged to the Dragonslayer…it did things to Gray that meant he couldn’t stay near Natsu. He knew that Dragonslayers had enhanced senses, including a keen nose. He’d lay odds that Natsu would smell it if he got aroused. It was a dangerous idea that just made him more excited.

So he was headed home to take some medicine and jerk off a few times before Natsu came over. Couldn’t let himself get excited in front of the pink-haired idiot. Maybe he could cook dinner beforehand this time. Food was a good way to put Natsu in a good mood.

(-)

He could smell the food before he knocked. It made his mouth water. When Gray opened the door, it only got worse. Now there was a siren scent from further in the house…Gray had been masturbating. Fuck.

“Almost done. Go ahead and sit down. Figured I’d feed you properly tonight.”

Natsu sat down, a tightness in him that only grew worse as he watched Gray take a dish out of the oven. His Mate had cooked for him. He tried to shake off that mindset, but it was taking hold. _Gray_ cooked for him. Like a good Mate would, and-fuck!

The dish was set in front of him between their two place settings. A warm hand smacked his when he reached for the serving spoon. “Let me get my helping and you can have the rest. You’re a black hole, Natsu.”

“Green bean casserole?” Natsu placed the smell as he watched Gray dish some onto his plate.

“Yeah. It’s usually a side dish, but I wasn’t up to making a full meal just now.”

When the spoon was handed to him, Natsu debated just taking the whole dish since Gray said he could have all of it, but decided it was marginally more polite to dump the entirety of its contents on his plate. Before he started devouring it, he noted, “Your fever is back.”

“It is. And being in a hot kitchen probably made me warmer. But since you’re about to boil me alive, it’s fine.”

Natsu paused. “Is it really that bad?”

“Well…” Gray hesitated, trying to decide how to word it, because Natsu seemed seriously concerned. “It’s too hot, but the fact that it relaxes all my muscles makes it kind of comforting too…once I get past the helplessness.”

“I’ll take care of you,” Natsu said with such an earnest gaze that Gray had to look away. “I’d never let you get hurt.”

Damn, maybe he should have pushed himself to get off three times instead of two, because he was worried he might lose control when Natsu talked like this. “I know.”

They had both finished, and Gray went to clear the plates when his legs gave out. Natsu was at his side in a second, steadying him. “Let’s worry about that after,” the Dragonslayer said quietly. And he took the Ice Mage gently by the arm and led him to the bathroom.

Gray was proud he’d kept mostly covered so far. He’d lost his jacket and pants, but he was still wearing his shirt and underwear. They disappeared as soon as they got into the bathroom.

“Your stripping is like some kind of magic,” Natsu said, divesting himself of his clothing much more quickly than the night before.

Blushing, Gray set his necklace next to Natsu’s clothes again. “They vanish before I realize it. It’s embarrassing and awkward.”

“Well, at least your family understands. So what if everyone else thinks you’re weird? To us it’s just who you are.”

“So why do you take such joy in teasing me?” Gray asked. Natsu’s fond words were making his blush grow out of control as he started washing himself.

The boy grinned at him as he reached for the soap. “Because it’s fun. I like it when you get flustered.”

The Ice Mage’s hands started shaking a bit, and he knew he was getting worse. He hastened in his washing, finally dropping the soap when he tried to wash his back.

Natsu had been watching and noticed. “Your hands…” And suddenly slick hands were moving over his back rapidly, and Gray had to bite back a moan and picture Elfman in a bikini to keep any disasters at bay. When the pink-haired man rinsed him thoroughly, he said, “Get the water going while I finish up.”

Gray obeyed, only able to sit leaned against the outside of the tub as it filled. His fever hadn’t been this bad yesterday. Probably because he’d taken medicine to help fool Erza. And possibly because he hadn’t stressed his body out by masturbating and cooking.

Suddenly behind him, Natsu first tried helping him up, then, when Gray’s limbs proved less than cooperative, lifted him gently into the tub. It was the slightly warm temperature of the night before, but Natsu quickly climbed in behind him and positioned him between the Dragonslayer’s legs. He let Gray sit up on his own until the water hit the temperature that made the ice cube melt.

It was surprising when arms slid around his waist as he was pulled closer to Natsu’s chest than the night before. When Natsu rested his chin on Gray’s shoulder, his breathing was a pleasant tickle on the Ice Mage’s ear. And, damn, this had suddenly gotten really fucking intimate. He was extremely happy he couldn’t get hard in this temperature.

“That was bad,” Natsu muttered. “You aren’t supposed to be getting sicker.”

Far too flustered at their position and Natsu’s behavior that whole day, Gray asked, “This might sound weird, but is there a ‘that time of the month’ for Dragonslayers?” When all the hard muscle pressed against him tightened, he knew he’d hit on something.

Fuck! Gray had put all of Natsu’s fuck-ups together in the right order. But what could he say to explain his behavior away and make it all better? Well, maybe a sort-of-truth-but-mostly-lie would do. “Well, more like a ‘that time of the year’. It, um…doesn’t happen at the same age for everyone. But if I’ve been acting a little weird, that’s why.”

“More than a little,” Gray murmured. “So it’s like a Mating Season?”

“Sort of.” And fuck if Natsu wasn’t making things worse. He’d been trying to keep enough space between their lower halves that Gray wouldn’t feel his growing erection, but it brushed against his back, and the dark-haired man definitely felt it given the sharp gasp that escaped him. Fuck.

In a panic, Natsu tried to push the Ice Mage away, only to panic further when Gray started to slip under the water. “Sorry! I’m sorry!”

“It’s fine!” Gray said, clearly trying to stop Natsu’s flailing. “You can’t help it, right?” he asked when the Dragonslayer was a little calmer.

“I…I can’t control myself.” Natsu knew he sounded ashamed, because he was. His Mate shouldn’t be forced to deal with this. A Mate should always be willing, or nothing should happen.

Gray let out a long slow breath. “It’s okay. That’s…just something you need, right?” And Gray wished he could have it too. He was in a bathtub with an aroused Natsu confessing that he couldn’t control himself around Gray. Even if _he_ couldn’t get hard to get relief… “Go ahead.”

“What?” Natsu was pretty sure he’d gotten water in his ears at some point, or this was some gross misunderstanding.

This was going to be wonderful torture. “Go ahead. It’s not like you can just sit like that.”

Cautiously, Natsu slid his arms around his Mate’s waist and pulled him until his lower back was against the Dragonslayer’s erection. His hips twitched instinctively. “Really? It’s…okay like this?” Because forcing his Mate into anything was absolutely unacceptable. He had to make sure he understood exactly what Gray would allow him. “The…water will get dirty.”

A snort escaped the Ice Mage. “We can wash again. Go ahead, Natsu.”

Natsu groaned as his hips began thrusting automatically. “Ohhhh. Fuck, yessss…” He couldn’t keep quiet. Not when he had Gray’s permission to rut against him like a beast in heat. “It’s so good, Gray. Feels so fucking goooood.”

Holy fucking shit, was this really happening? The hot slide of Natsu’s dick, the moans, the way he told Gray he felt good? It felt real. God, this was the hottest thing that had ever happened to the Ice Mage.

“Can’t stop. Please don’t tell me to stop,” Natsu begged. If Gray decided this was disgusting, the Dragonslayer wouldn’t force it. But he would die a bit inside too, to let this feeling go.

“Don’t stop,” Gray whispered. “Keep going. This is fine. Let go, Natsu.”

Far too soon, as soon as he was given permission, the Dragonslayer came hard. He kept himself from Marking his Mate fully, but he bit into his shoulder a little because otherwise he’d be screaming. Every muscle was tight and the pleasure was incessant. Wrapped around his Mate, he was cumming longer and harder than he ever had in his life.

Oh my God, Natsu was _biting_ him as he held Gray tight and had a ridiculously long orgasm pressed against his back. It felt so hot. And even if it was hotter than his Kryptonite temperature, it felt good. Gray wondered what it would feel like out of the water, burning into his skin. Burning inside of him. Fuck, he had to stop thinking about it.

When his body finally relaxed, Natsu felt nothing but bliss. He nuzzled into his Mate’s neck, planting a gentle kiss there. “Thank you. You have no idea how badly I needed that.” After a few more kisses he said, “God, you’re perfect.”

That kind of behavior was too much. It made Gray _want_ things from Natsu. And if this was just a biological imperative, he couldn’t have them. “So, I guess you get kind of clingy and affectionate when you get off with someone during your Mating Season?”

“Mmm…sorry.” Natsu knew he needed to stop before he gave too much away. Really, that time had passed, but if he could play this off as hormonal surges, maybe their friendship could stay intact.

“It’s okay, I guess…just lay off the kissing.” Gray really wanted him to keep kissing. Then he thought of something. “Did you check the time when we got in?”

Natsu laughed a little. “Nope. I was so worried about your fever I completely forgot. But…that didn’t take long.”

It made sense that the other boy would feel self-conscious about something like that. “Well you said yourself that you really needed it. Nothing wrong with blowing off steam, right? Not like…it had anything to do with sexual performance.” What the hell was he saying? This was not a topic to bring up.

The Dragonslayer squeezed him tighter for a moment. “No, that would involve actually taking you. Pressing in and-”

“Whoa! Holy crap, forget I said anything!” Because was that really Natsu? He sounded almost feral. Like he really would enjoy holding Gray down and fucking him. It was bad for the Ice Mage’s heart, in more ways than one.

There was a whimper, and the Dragonslayer recoiled a little. “I’m sorry. It’s the instincts. I’d never force you; I promise.”

Can’t force the willing. Gray never thought he’d be grateful for the inability to get it up. He’d be hard as hell and who knew what would happen then when in close quarters with a hormonal Dragonslayer. “I trust you, Natsu. Let’s just calm down and figure out how long we’ve been in here.”

Intellectually, the Dragonslayer knew Gray was eager to get out because he hated hot water that made him weak. Instinctually, it felt like his Mate wanted to leave him. He suppressed a growl. “Twenty minutes? I don’t know.”

“I’d say fifteen at least. Let’s call it that.” He’d rather err on the side of too much than too little. Not only did being sick blow, Gray also knew that the longer this bath situation kept on, the higher the chance that it would fuck them up. Because after this Mating Season was over, if Natsu lost all interest in Gray, it would crush him.

Of course, Natsu was settling in still holding the Ice Mage close to him. It was nice. Gray didn’t get a lot of hugs. It made him greedy for more affection. But since he’d just let the Dragonslayer use his body to get off, it wouldn’t be strange or unreasonable to ask for more, right?

“Hey, can you rub my back again?” Gray asked before he chickened out.

He could hear Natsu’s grin when he said, “Of course!”

Suddenly Natsu’s left arm crossed Gray’s chest to grip his right shoulder. The Dragonslayer’s right hand slid down the Ice Mage’s spine when Natsu carefully leaned Gray forward. It had the effect of keeping his Mate close while still having access to his back to please him. He was happy his Mate liked being touched by him, even if it was only like this.

Gray didn’t try to hold in a moan. Natsu was still pressed against him, even if he wasn’t hard, but the Ice Mage was suspended by that strong arm so the Dragonslayer could rub his back _just_ right. It was the perfect balance.

Things grew hazy, and before he knew it, Natsu was waking him up. “Come on, Ice Princess. We gotta wash up again.”

The water started draining, and, just as the night before, he felt reinvigorated by the change. Breathing was easier, his body temperature was rapidly dropping, and, after they recovered, his muscles were almost at full strength. He didn’t even need Natsu’s help to stand up and get out of the tub, and he was pretty sure he caught the Dragonslayer pouting when the Ice Mage left him behind.

As Gray started washing, he noticed that Natsu kept sniffing while he was cleaning himself. “Are you coming down with a cold?”

“Ummm…sorry…you just smell like me.” Natsu sounded sheepish.

Oh fuck. Elfman in a bikini. A frilly bikini. Having a frilly bikini contest with Laxus. Yeah, it seemed likely that Gray would never get aroused again, so he was definitely safe for that moment. And the Ice Mage had no idea what to do with that information. “Is that bad?”

Natsu shook his head fervently. “It smells good. Can’t stop sniffing.” He looked away and seemed to slump a little. “I know that’s creepy. I’m sorry.”

Thinking his heart might not survive delving deeper into this issue, Gray just said, “Instincts, right? That’s fine. I strip, you sniff; we’re both weird.”

That made Natsu laugh in relief. His Mate wasn’t creeped out by him. Even after Natsu admitted he liked the smell of his cum on Gray. And it was taking a lot of effort not to get closer to get a stronger whiff of that intoxicating scent. Not to mention that it was already making him in danger of getting aroused again.

Gray cut off his thoughts with a yawn. “Sorry, I know it isn’t even that late.”

His Mate was tired. “We’ll get you dried off and in bed. Who cares what time it is? If you’re sick, you need rest.”

Natsu tossed a towel at him right after he’d finished rinsing, and Gray couldn’t help but notice the Dragonslayer’s nose constantly sniffing. The pink-haired man wasn’t looking at him, and the Ice Mage was pretty sure it was on purpose.

When Gray had a towel around his waist and Natsu was clothed, the Dragonslayer pulled Gray to his room. How he knew which room it was, the Ice Mage had no idea, even if his house was small. But when, after the door had opened, that keen nose took a deep sniff and that solid tan body shuddered slightly, Gray realized that Natsu must be smelling his activities before the pink-haired man arrived. Namely masturbating to keep control. He thought opening the window for a bit would be enough to air it out, but apparently not.

Thankfully, the Dragonslayer didn’t comment. He just pulled Gray to the bed and helped him under the covers, despite not needing it. Bending over, he picked up Gray’s towel and shook his head. “You are allergic to towels. Even worse than your clothes allergy.”

They shared a laugh, and then Natsu fucking Dragneel carefully tucked Gray Fullbuster into bed. It was insane, even amongst all the other insanity that night. But it filled the Ice Mage with a peace that quickly turned into overwhelming sleepiness.

He was almost asleep when he felt a pair of very warm lips on his forehead and a hot hand sliding once through his hair. He sighed. Natsu’s Mating Season was going to end up breaking Gray’s heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well? I had a ton of fun with this, so I hope you’re enjoying it too. Feel free to review; it makes me squee and breathe fire! Wait, only one of those…


	3. Bath Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don’t mind all the random food; I’m not terribly creative with writing about cooking. Despite my love of Food Wars and Kitchen Princess. But I gave Gray cooking skills to make him able to prod at Natsu’s instincts even further.

The next morning he wasn’t one-hundred percent sure he hadn’t dreamt the previous night. Like, there was no way that Natsu rutted against him and kissed and sniffed him, right? When he was almost in the kitchen, he realized that he had forgotten about the dishes. And when he looked at the sink, he thought either he was dreaming or someone had broken into his house. Because the dishes were cleaned and dried, slid neatly into the drying rack.

And since he was pretty sure the apocalypse would happen before Natsu did chores for Gray without being asked, he was going with the theory that he was hit on the head at some point yesterday and a magic dishwashing fairy broke into his house last night. Who knew what was real anymore?

Well, if he went to the guild for breakfast he would see Natsu and figure out for himself what happened. So when he got to the guild hall to find none of his team there, he sighed. He made his way up to the bar and Mirajane smiled and waved.

“Hi, Gray! Natsu wanted me to tell you that he took a job with Lucy so she could pay her rent. He said he was sorry to leave you behind, but the job is one town over, and he will be back by tonight and meet you at your place. I guess you guys had plans?”

Stunned by the rapid flow of information, Gray blinked. “Yeah, it’s uh…a teambuilding exercise from Erza.”

“That explains why he looked so anxious about leaving! Don’t want to risk missing an appointment that she made.”

Before the conversation could go further, Gray saw Gajeel approaching. When a quick glance showed the Metal Dragonslayer smirking and sniffing, the Ice Mage froze. He smelled like Natsu. The Fire Dragonslayer had even said so, and it was strong enough that he kept sniffing it. So there was no way he wasn’t about to get an uncomfortable conversation and merciless teasing.

“ThanksMirabye!” Gray took off at a brisk stride. There was that café that had a new breakfast croissant sandwich. Best to get his breakfast there.

He avoided the guild hall for the rest of the day, saying home and reading. It didn’t escape his notice that he no longer had any signs of fever, and the only coughs that came up died down a few moments later. Natsu had really healed him.

As the afternoon stretched into evening, Gray figured he’d put his spare time to good use while he waited for Natsu. He wasn’t even sure if they should take a bath when he didn’t need it and it just kept blurring lines. But that didn’t mean he didn’t want to spend the evening with Natsu anyway.

(-)

Natsu was dashing down the street, the job having run later than he thought. He had to make sure it was okay to leave Happy and Lucy to finish before he could head back.

Lucy had asked for his help, but in truth, he was glad for the chance to put some distance between him and his Mate that he had unintentionally scent-marked. He didn’t realize that’s what had happened until after he left. It had just felt so amazing and right to have Gray smell like him that it was mesmerizing.

Trouble was, it made him want to renew his scent. He kept thinking about Gray sucking his dick until he pulled out to cum all over that beautiful face, fucking him hard only to finish all over his back…just all kinds of unhelpful thoughts.

And when he approached Gray’s house and smelled _food_ , he knew he was doomed. Gray opened after one knock and took in Natsu’s panting. The Dragonslayer wasn’t out of shape, so it was a testament to just how far and fast he had run. “Sorry I’m late. Got held up making sure Lucy and Happy would be good without me.”

The Ice Mage still smelled like him, but it was almost entirely faded, and something clawed inside Natsu to fix that mistake before someone else tried to claim his Mate. Some of that must have translated into the way he was looking at Gray because the dark-haired man blushed slightly and turned back into the house, letting Natsu follow behind.

The green bean casserole had been delicious, but the table set before him now was far more impressive. He hadn’t realized how well Gray could cook. Cheesy potatoes, beef stroganoff, toasted raviolis…and something succulent was still in the oven. The Dragonslayer was drooling. “Did you really make all of this for me?”

Crap, he knew he’d overdone it. But he’d had all that time, and he just kept thinking about how much Natsu ate, and what kind of dishes he could make. He made a special trip to the market to get everything, and he was actually worried about Natsu showing up while he was still cooking and eating everything raw. So it was good the idiot ran late.

Another thing he couldn’t stop thinking about was how this might be their last night to have the perfect excuse to be intimate with each other. How he would have to confess he was already feeling better. And if they didn’t end up bathing together, he didn’t want Natsu to just leave. “Yeah…wanted to thank you for taking such good care of me…”

His Mate cooked a meal for him. His Mate recognized that he was an attentive caregiver. His Mate wanted to keep him. Meeting those deep blue eyes, Natsu licked his lips and said the stupidest thing: “Mat-Marry me.” He heard Gray’s heart beat out of control as the Ice Mage stared at him in disbelief.

He hadn’t heard that right. No, of course he had; Natsu was just being Natsu. Gray let out a nervous laugh. “I guess anyone can cook for you and win your heart, huh?”

A pang of regret hit Natsu. It was a stupid thing to say, and now Gray thought he wasn’t serious. But nobody could win his heart no matter what they did because the Ice Mage already owned it. “That isn’t true.”

It was true enough. “You’re a pig, Natsu. Come on, let’s eat. The roast beef should be done.”

Natsu sat at the table, a little less hungry than he’d been moments before. However, when Gray brought out roast beef, his emotions couldn’t contain his appetite any longer. After letting the Ice Mage pile his plate high, the Dragonslayer tore into the meal with his usual gusto, talking with his mouth full to compliment Gray’s cooking.

Such a gross lack of table manners should not be endearing. But it was as Gray affectionately watched Natsu annihilate the food the Ice Mage had made just for him. Around cheeks stuffed with food, he heard something that sounded like approval coming from Natsu. He shouldn’t find that charming either. He was so far gone.

Gray had barely finished his packed plate when Natsu finished everything else. On the upside, there was less food flying than there usually was. Probably the best manners Natsu was capable of. But the fucking grin the Dragonslayer gave the Ice Mage after he finished was dazzling.

“Wow, you’re amazing. I didn’t know you could cook like that.” Natsu noticed Gray’s shirt had disappeared while they ate. His pants were on the floor too.

It was a little flustering to be on the receiving end of that much admiration from Natsu. The Ice Mage felt warm, and it wasn’t a fever. “Why do I get the feeling you’re like a stray cat? Now that I’ve fed you once, you’re going to keep coming back for more.”

That scent. His Mate was excited. It was a heady smell he could get drunk on. If only he could make it stronger. “Probably because you know me better than just about anyone else. But even if you starved me, you couldn’t get rid of me that easily.” The Dragonslayer looked nervously at his hands for a moment, knowing this was pushing it.

When he looked up, Gray was naked. He could only tell because he could see the Ice Mage’s underwear on the floor. And what had been the smell of Gray being slightly turned on was growing into full-blown arousal as he watched that pale face heat up.

“Sorry, just-”

“Can I?” Natsu asked suddenly. Because his Mate needed attention, and he wanted to give him as much as he could while still being unable to claim him. Gray didn’t think he was serious, and he wanted to prove that he would be the best Mate if the Ice Mage would have him.

“Can you what?” Gray asked quietly.

He had gotten up, pushed Gray’s chair back, and knelt in front of him before the Ice Mage registered that he’d moved. The Dragonslayer spread those pale legs, relishing in the gasp and surge of arousal. “Can I?” He moved even closer.

Holy fucking hell, was Natsu asking to blow him? When that pink head was nuzzling into his inner thigh, it sure seemed like it. Gray just nodded, not trusting himself to speak. And his dick was immediately engulfed in the most delicious heat he could imagine. A moan escaped him before he clapped a hand over his mouth, knowing he’d humiliate himself.

No, that wasn’t right. The Dragonslayer pulled back and pulled his Mate’s arm. When he met those dark eyes, he said in a low, commanding voice, “Don’t hold back with me.”

And damn Gray if he could do anything but obey when Natsu took him in again. “Fuck! Oh my God, Natsu, why are you so good at this?” Because he was. The way he sucked, the way he could take all of Gray in like he was being fucking paid for it. “Do you blow a lot of guys or is this instinct in your Mating Season?” Not replying verbally, Natsu looked up with a gaze that said Gray was the only one. “Fuck!”

Natsu would think Gray sounded jealous if his voice wasn’t overflowing with pleasure. All the moans and gasps and whimpers were wonderful rewards for his efforts. He’d never wanted to give anyone a blowjob. It had kind of seemed like a gross idea. Until Gray.

“Um, Natsu?” The Ice Mage’s hips were moving to meet the Dragonslayer’s downward motions, and Natsu had done nothing to discourage him. But the heat was coiling more tightly inside of him, and he knew he would lose it soon.

He tugged at those pink locks to communicate without having to say it that he was close. When the Dragonslayer persisted, Gray said, “Fuck, I’m going to cum, Natsu! Can’t stop!” He wasn’t sure it was a good idea to cum in Natsu’s mouth when it was his Mating Season. For all he knew, it might mean something more that the Dragonslayer might not want once he was level-headed.

Looking down into that dark gaze, he saw the message, “Don’t you dare stop.”

It was as good as permission to Gray, and he let go, crying out as Natsu drank him down. The best kind of heat flooded through the Ice Mage; he had never had a more intense orgasm than he did with Natsu. He knew he never would. The flame-brain had him, and it would ruin him for anyone else.

When he stopped shaking, Natsu finally relinquished him. “Your cum is almost cool. Kind of refreshing.”

Gray clapped his hands over his face, because that was mortifying. “Don’t say shit like that! It’s weird!” Because with his naturally lower body temperature, it wasn’t anything the Ice Mage had noticed about himself. And Natsu complimenting his cum was too much to take.

Warm hands slid around his wrists and pulled to expose his face. “It’s true.” And Natsu fucking _nipped at the end of his nose_ playfully and then started nuzzling into his neck. “You’re perfect.”

Natsu kept saying that, and it wasn’t fair! The Dragonslayer could let his instincts run wild while Gray couldn’t say anything because it would reveal a much more serious sentiment. He pushed the face away from his neck before it could give him goosebumps. “Come on, let’s get this over with.”

A stabbing pain lanced through Natsu at his Mate’s words. Gray sounded annoyed. Had he done a bad job? Did he do something else wrong? Especially after anything intimate, taking in his Mate’s scent was reassuring and made him feel like he belonged. But of course he didn’t belong, because Gray only put up with these things because of his “Mating Season”. That lie was really biting Natsu in the ass. But he just followed Gray, trying to ignore how tight his throat was.

In the following silence, Gray wondered if Natsu was coming to his senses. Maybe he already regretted blowing Gray. How long after Mating Season ended would it take for Natsu to hate everything they’d done together?

It wasn’t like Natsu cried much, but because this was about his Mate, any rejection was going to hurt way more than just some crush. And he really should have thought of that before he let all this get started. He was in so deep that they were bound to hit the point of no return soon, and what was he supposed to do when his Mate rejected him?

He thought about his grim future as he washed himself, not saying a word to Gray since he couldn’t trust his voice. They both stayed silent until they were in the water, Natsu’s hands holding his Mate’s limp form against him, chin resting on his shoulder. A sniff escaped the Dragonslayer, followed by a whimper, and hell no, he was not crying in front of Gray.

The plus side of his head staying above the water was that he had full control over it. When he heard that strange noise, he turned to look at the face resting on his left shoulder and was alarmed to see the Dragonslayer crying. “Are you okay?” Because Natsu could bleed internally and make jokes and smile. Maybe he was dying…no, he could still mouth off even then.

The words escaped without Natsu’s consent: “Was I bad?”

A stab of regret and guilt went through Gray. Was that what Natsu was thinking about? “What? No! Hell no, like I said, I would think you had a lot of practice if I didn’t know better.” He tried leaning his head back onto Natsu’s shoulder since he was incapable of offering any other physical comfort.

“I’ve only ever tasted you,” Natsu said quietly. And his Mate was delicious.

If Gray could have, he would have shivered. “Look, I’m sorry if I made you feel bad. It’s just…hard to know how to take all of this. It isn’t like we were all sat down when we were young and given a talk about how to deal with your friend’s-” and secret infatuation’s “-Mating Season. I’m kind of winging it here.”

Natsu tried to not let that get to him. He should be glad their friendship could handle this. “Well, thanks for putting up with me then, I guess.”

Laughter escaped Gray briefly before he said, “Please, putting up with you was something I did when we were kids. This isn’t as bad as _that_.”

It was like balloons were inflating in Natsu’s chest as he let out a laugh too. “Really?! This isn’t…you don’t hate it?”

There was a heartbreaking feeling to the question. Because, while Gray was anticipating having _his_ heart broken, Natsu was afraid of losing their friendship over something he couldn’t control. “I don’t hate it, Natsu, and I definitely don’t hate you.”

Very hot tears fell on his neck and shoulder as Natsu started kissing and sniffing. “You’re so perfect.” And the Dragonslayer only cried harder.

Not sure of the wisdom of his idea, Gray nonetheless turned his face to press his lips to Natsu’s temple. “Calm down, you’re okay.”

A magic spell had been cast as the Dragonslayer instantly quieted. Then, in an unexpected surge, fiery lips pressed to his and devoured him. One strong hand slid into the Ice Mage’s hair to hold him still while Natsu _took_. Then, just as a tongue slid over Gray’s lips and he was ready to part them, the Dragonslayer abruptly withdrew.

“I’m sorry! You don’t like me kissing your neck; I never should have touched your lips. I mean, it’s not like you want me all over you; it’s just…because it’s my Mating Season…” Natsu’s heart sank, and he just let his face fall onto Gray’s shoulder. He kept himself from crying though. Mostly he hated himself for letting himself get carried away.

“That’s…I mean, obviously you shouldn’t since this isn’t…but I’m not mad.” Gray had loved it. He always knew that Natsu was brimming with fiery passion; there was just no other way for the Fire Dragonslayer to be. And getting a full dose of that passion was going to be a bittersweet memory when this was over. Actually, it was already hurting. That’s why he shouldn’t encourage Natsu. But he also hated hearing him sound so dejected over something they clearly both enjoyed.

Even if the pink-haired man was depressed or crying, the kiss especially had brought about something to change the topic. “You’re hard.”

Natsu blushed. He was holding Gray tight against him; of course he was hard. “Yeah.” Asking permission to get off tonight, after all that had happened, seemed like a bad idea.

“You’re insatiable,” the Ice Mage said with a smile.

“You have **_no_** idea how much I’m holding back.” None. If he could, the Dragonslayer would Mark his Mate and claim him, over and over again. That perfect pale skin would be scratched and bitten, and that deep voice would be hoarse from screaming and begging. He wanted to take his Mate apart with pleasure and love.

God, the promise in those words was tangible enough to live off of. “Don’t hold it _all_ back, idiot. You need to get off, don’t you?”

“Soooo badly.” The words left his mouth of their own accord.

Gray chuckled. He really loved that he got to see this side of Natsu. If he hadn’t gotten sick during Natsu’s Mating Season, he would never have experienced the intimacy they’d shared. Wouldn’t know how Natsu’s mouth felt on his dick, or how Natsu’s dick felt on his back. Wouldn’t know that the Dragonslayer’s fire definitely came out in his kiss. Fuck, being in love was a bitch.

His heart sped up. Gray hadn’t allowed himself to consider it in those terms before. He loved Natsu. He loved Salamander, Fairy Tail’s infamous Fire Dragonslayer. He loved his best friend, the kid he’d hated his whole life until the past couple of years.

“Um, was that too much? Your heart is racing.”

Damn dragon ears. “Not too much. Go on, why are you hesitating if you need it that badly? Did your brain burn out and now you don’t know how to satisfy yourself?”

The challenge ignited Natsu. Suddenly his hips were thrusting while he held Gray tightly against him. Bites were planted on the Ice Mage’s shoulder repeatedly, not hard enough to leave a mark, but not gentle either. He loved it.

“Satisfy myself? You have no idea how well I can satisfy _you_ , my Ice Princess. I could make you beg and scream. You’d never want to leave my bed.” The words kept getting away from him. He shouldn’t be saying this. But damn if it didn’t feel good to hear his threats make Gray’s heart race even faster.

Holy fuck! Was that really Natsu saying those things? Offering to satisfy Gray? The Ice Mage had only wanted to draw attention away from his excitement at finally admitting he loved Natsu, and to get the flame-brained idiot to move, but he had unlocked something else entirely. “Damn it, Natsu, you can’t say shit like that.” Because no, Gray wouldn’t want to leave Natsu’s bed. But since he was never getting into it in the first place, it didn’t bear thinking about.

“Why not?” Natsu demanded, the pace of his hips increasing. “You started it. Challenging me…you just wanted to hear about the things I’d do to you, right?” He bit the shoulder in front of him a little harder, reveling in the Ice Mage’s gasp.

“No, don’t, Natsu. Please.” Because now Gray was suddenly blinking back tears. And either his voice wavered or that nose smelled the salt, because Natsu stilled immediately.

“Gray?” The question was soft, almost innocent-sounding in that hesitant voice. One slow gentle kiss was pressed to the Ice Mage’s neck, and those arms hugged him tight in a way that had nothing to do with getting off. “Please don’t cry.”

“I’m not crying,” Gray lied. By now it was a steady flow, but he was breathing deeply to control himself and calm down. “Just…don’t say stuff like that.”

Natsu’s heart plummeted. Not only had he gone too far and upset his Mate, Gray didn’t want to hear about what it would be _like_ to be Natsu’s Mate. This was just him humoring the Dragonslayer’s “Mating Season”, and he didn’t want to be involved beyond that.

“Okay, I’ll stop.” The arms around his waist loosened and the Dragonslayer put distance between them.

“Wait, you don’t have to stop entirely. Just….” Gray didn’t want to repeat it. Didn’t want to think about it. “Come on, we both know you need it. It’s okay.”

Hesitantly, Natsu pulled himself close again. “Like this?”

“Yeah.” This time, the Dragonslayer went slow, a low moan punctuating the first thrust. It was different from the passionate fervor, but Gray liked it too. “You don’t have to go slow if you don’t want to.”

“Don’t want to go too far again.”

Gray smiled. The wonderful idiot. “You did this last night and I was fine. Go ahead and do it again.”

That only sped the Dragonslayer up a little. “But I want to do other things too.”

Oh, dear. “What?”

“Can I…?” A hand slid to the Ice Mage’s inner thigh and spread his legs a little. “Can I do that?”

After a brief hitch in his breathing, Gray nodded. “If you want to.”

“I want to make you feel good. Can I do that?”

Now the Ice Mage’s face was on fire. He really didn’t want to explain his impotence to Natsu. “Um…”

There was the briefest brush of fingers on his dick. “Can you not get hard? Or do you not like this?”

Damn it. “This temperature makes my entire body limp. It isn’t that I can’t-”

Natsu cut him off. “I know that. I’ve tasted you, remember?”

How could Gray forget? “Yeah. But that’s why you can’t get me off.”

“Does it feel good anyway?” That hand touched him with a bit more purpose.

It did. It was part of the pleasure with none of the payoff. “Feels good.”

Hips thrusting faster now, Natsu asked, “Can I touch you anyway, then?”

Gray just nodded and groaned when that hot hand held him and gently stroked. “Fuck, even if I never cum, that’s amazing.” Probably _because_ Natsu could touch him like that forever and he’d never cum. Just endless comfortable pleasure.

As the Ice Mage’s head fell back on his shoulder, moaning gently, Natsu moved faster. It took some concentration not to get faster with his Mate’s dick, and already the Dragonslayer knew he was done for. Because his Mate loved being touched by him, and that turned him on more than anything else.

Hips getting frantic, Natsu had to let go of Gray’s dick to hold him close with both arms. “I’m close. Can I cum? Will you let me cum, Gray?”

Having Natsu ask permission to cum did wonderful, horrible things to him. It made up for the sudden lack of attention. “Yeah. Go on and cum for me, Natsu. Be a good boy.”

Even if he had no idea where that last part had come from, Natsu seemed to enjoy it, because he exploded instantly, and the ridiculously long orgasm of the night before began again. With all the groaning and shaking and desperate grip around his waist, Gray wondered if he’d get to cum again tonight. Because with a horny Dragonslayer around, it was hard to _not_ be in the mood.

Eventually Natsu calmed, sighing and pressing kisses to Gray’s neck as he nuzzled it. Gray didn’t bother trying to stop him as it was obviously some instinctual habit. Finally Natsu spoke. “Hey, Gray, I just thought of something.”

“What?”

“Do you remember when we got in here? I have no clue how long we’ve been at this.”

Gray burst out laughing, and Natsu joined him a moment later. “Oh my God, I have no idea either!”

“Guess we’ll just have to call it twenty minutes-” Natsu knew it was more than that “-and occupy ourselves for another forty.” When Natsu’s hand slid back to Gray’s dick he let out a moaning sigh. “Maybe I’ll just have to tease you the whole time. Can I?”

“ _Please_.” Gray knew he sounded needy.

His Mate wanted him badly. It felt so good to be needed, to give his Mate the attention he deserved. First he spread his legs as wide as possible, enjoying the whimper that got him, and then he started stroking. Strange as it was at first to be pleasuring a limp dick, it was quickly forgotten as his Mate moaned and sighed, obviously enjoying the attention.

It was like the laziest sex ever. No need to rush because they weren’t going anywhere, and the pleasure just kept coming continuously. “This is wonderful, Natsu.” Everything was a hazy bliss.

“But what happens if I do this?” The Dragonslayer increased his pace, and his Mate gasped. Perfect.

Now he was on edge, like he was closer to cumming but still knew he never would. “Fuck, that’s a real tease. You trying to make me lose my mind?”

“And what if I am? Would that bother you?”

There was a challenging tone in that question. “Do your worst.”

Natsu made sure he did. He alternated between stimulating and passive pleasure, and soon Gray was biting his lip, because he was about to start begging. Nothing had ever felt as good as this, and it wouldn’t end until he went crazy.

He caved. “Please. I’m not even hard but I feel so close to cumming.”

“So? What do you expect me to do about it?” Natsu was grinning. His Mate was so distracted he hadn’t noticed the Dragonslayer putting his chin on the Ice Mage’s shoulder and taking his time to look at every bit of that beautiful pale body that he could.

“Goddammit, make me cum, Natsu!”

It was an order the Dragonslayer was happy to obey. He knew they’d been in more than an hour, and he opened the drain as he kept stroking. Almost as soon as it was out of the water, Gray’s dick started getting hard. The Ice Mage was getting louder and more desperate, putting on the perfect show in Natsu’s arms. As soon as he was completely hard, Gray came.

Few things felt as satisfying as listening to his Mate scream. The Ice Mage was undone, shaking uncontrollably, spilling all over his stomach, and, the best thing in Natsu’s opinion, crying out the Dragonslayer’s name. Even if he never got anything more, Natsu would treasure that moment.

Finally calming, the Ice Mage noticed that his neck was getting attention again. Kisses and nibbles with nuzzles seemed to be a strong instinct in Natsu. “You’re so perfect.” As did statements like that.

“You keep saying that.” It still hurt to hear.

“True,” Natsu said, not pausing in his nuzzling. But it wasn’t clear if he was agreeing that he repeated the sentiment often, or if he was asserting that the statement was true. Gray was too much of a coward to ask.

“We definitely need to wash up again,” he said instead.

Natsu giggled, and it was such a sweet sound, especially after what they’d just done, that it made Gray love the childish idiot even more. At one time in his life, he could have predicted the pink-haired man’s actions with more accuracy than anyone else. These days he didn’t know what to expect from the Dragonslayer. But it didn’t feel like a bad thing. He liked seeing all new things about Natsu.

As they got out and started washing, Natsu said, “From now on we should bring a timer, since we keep forgetting to check the time.”

Gray had let himself get carried away and go along with things. He hated to say it, but he had to. “I actually felt a lot better today. We probably won’t have to do this anymore.”

What sounded like a whimper came from the Dragonslayer, but when the Ice Mage looked over, that pink head was turned away. “Oh.”

Right, that meant Natsu would be left to deal with his Mating Season urges all alone again. And while Gray felt bad about that, he also couldn’t help that he wasn’t a sex toy to use to get off. Even if he knew that’s not how the Dragonslayer saw him. But being an outlet for Natsu’s sexual needs would kill Gray. He loved the idiot, and a purely physical relationship wouldn’t satisfy him. Not to mention that all seasons end, so who knew how Natsu would feel then?

Of course, Gray wasn’t going to be sick forever, and it would be selfish of Natsu to want that. He didn’t. He wanted his Mate to be healthy. But he also _wanted_ his Mate. This was the only way to have him, and the short opportunity was almost up. After they had no reason to meet in an intimate setting like this, Gray wouldn’t feel obliged to put up with Natsu’s “Mating Season” antics.

He ached just thinking about being around his Mate and no longer being allowed to touch and nuzzle him as he pleased. Already he knew it would be very hard to deal with, and given how much he’d slipped into his instincts, the likelihood of fucking up his friendship with Gray was high. The scene with Juvia was proof enough that he didn’t have the kind of control he needed to keep his desires under wraps. Maybe he could pick up a solo job that would keep him out of town for at least a few days, see if distance helped calm him a little.

The Dragonslayer looked so forlorn that Gray threw out an idea that he knew was bad. “Although, we can’t be sure I’m completely better. Probably best to take one more bath, just to be safe, right?”

Natsu’s head snapped around as a disbelieving smile spread on his face. “Yeah. Gotta be safe.” Any opportunity to have time with his Mate was precious, and he wouldn’t squander a bit of it.

Rinsing and drying went quickly, and Natsu was disappointed that, as soon as he was dressed, he was led to the door instead of leading Gray to his bedroom. He had liked tucking his Mate in. But the Ice Mage was feeling better. He didn’t need that kind of help from Natsu anymore.

“So, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” Gray said as Natsu stepped out the front door.

“Yeah…hey, Gray?”

“Yeah?”

The Dragonslayer gave him such an earnest look with the shyest little smile that the Ice Mage thought his heart might break. “I really _am_ glad that you feel better.” Natsu’s way of assuring Gray that he didn’t resent his health breaking up their arrangement.

“Also…”

“What?” Gray asked.

“Your towel allergy is acting up.” It took the Ice Mage a moment to catch up, and the second he did, he met the eyes of his neighbor across the street, a young lady who was staring with wide eyes and a red face.

“You jerk!” Gray shouted before slamming the door on the pink-haired idiot. But he laughed as he put his back to the door and slid to sit down. In only a few moments, the laughter became quiet tears. Stupid. He knew this was coming. But God save him from how much he _loved_ that idiotic jerk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Their idiocy will pay off, promise. Much fun and drama, and gotta love fluff. Hopefully the smut was fun, and you can also look forward to more Dragonslayer shenanigans, and not just Natsu.
> 
> Please feel free to let me know what you think; it really does egg me on and keep me writing. But, whether you review or not, I love you guys and I hope you love this.


	4. The Last Bath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, ostensibly the last chapter. I mentioned to a reviewer that if I get an idea to take it farther than what I have planned, I might have a sequel about what happens later. Maybe. It is more likely to end up like my other fics, tho. Very slow to update. This is quick and already easily planned out.

Oddly enough, they both decided separately to avoid the guild hall until dinner. Gray was avoiding Gajeel, and Natsu was wary for that same reason. To their relief, the Metal Dragonslayer was nowhere in sight when they sat down with Lucy and Happy.

“So, how are you feeling, Gray? Sorry we left you behind, but rent is due tomorrow. Natsu got to you okay last night, right?” Lucy asked once they were all settled.

A dinner date, blowjob, Natsu rutting against him, and then a weird soft dick handjob that turned into a regular one. “Yeah, we got it done.” Whoops, that was a weird way to put it. The glance he shared with Natsu confirmed the Dragonslayer was also uncomfortable with that wording. It made it sound…like a chore.

Gray didn’t think it was that bad, right? It wasn’t. The way his Mate had come apart in his arms, under his touch…he never thought that the Ice Mage would respond that way to him. It was really the most encouraging thing about this situation. Even if Gray had only allowed him in his bathtub because of Erza’s orders, Natsu clearly didn’t repulse him. Maybe he could actually have his Mate someday? If he worked hard to court him.

No, this was his instincts running wild. He told himself all kinds of things and then ended up losing anyway. The Dragonslayer had known once he gave in, his instincts wouldn’t let him back out, and he was right. Now all he wanted was to make his Mate want to stay forever. Things with Gray would become uncomfortable and awkward after this. And after enough time passed, Natsu couldn’t play it off as “Mating Season” anymore. Not to mention that Gajeel enjoyed messing with him about it.

“Well, you sure seem better today,” Happy said.

Cursing mentally, Gray felt his cheeks heat up as he said, “Yeah, seems like Natsu is a magical cure. No more fever and very little coughing.”

“After three days? Yeah, that’s magic. Pretty impressive, Natsu. What did you do?” Lucy asked.

Of course Gray had gotten better quickly. A dragon who couldn’t care for their Mate properly was a disgrace. And Natsu knew what he had done. Love was a powerful magical force. It was why they could all achieve feats and levels of power when they protected each other that they never could when fighting just for themselves. It didn’t require conscious effort to use, just feelings. And Natsu had used his magic to heat that water. The water they soaked in. The water they climaxed in. It was all in the water, and the Dragonslayer’s desire to make his Mate well again was a large part of the magic infused in it.

Being a good Mate gave him less time with his Mate. Frustrating, but Natsu never wanted Gray at anything less than his best. Well, unless the Dragonslayer beat him to get him that way.

“Just what Erza told me to,” Natsu said shortly.

Gray sincerely doubted that Erza told the Dragonslayer to do all the things he ended up doing to the Ice Mage.

“Does this mean I can sleep at home tonight? Lucy is fun, but I miss Natsu.” Happy looked so perky and hopeful that Gray felt bad for what came next.

“I miss you too, buddy, but we figured one more night to be sure.”

At the cat’s drooping ears and downturned face, Lucy sighed. “Tell you what: since this is our last sleepover, I’ll get you a medium fish, okay?”

Instantly the little cat was on her, all affection and declarations of love. Lucy laughed. “I just have to feed you to make you love me, huh?”

If only it was actually that easy. Gray remembered Natsu’s joking proposal the night before. A glance at the Dragonslayer showed a disheartened look. Why would Natsu’s joke make him sad?

His Mate thought he wasn’t serious. His Mate thought he wasn’t special to Natsu. And it was all the Dragonslayer’s fault. “Happy would love you without the fish, Luc.” It seemed the least he could say.

The little cat stopped his ardent affections and looked between Natsu and Lucy. “Well, of course! I’m not so shallow that food can buy me.” Then his eyes got all glassy again and he started drooling. “But it does mean that you love me lots if you give me fish, and so I love you lots too!”

Happy’s antics drew chuckles from all of them as he returned to purring over Lucy. And the Ice Mage looked over at the Dragonslayer, who was giving him a serious, pointed look. Was that on purpose? Was Natsu trying to refute Gray’s assertion that he’d love anyone who fed him? Sure, Natsu had said that Gray could starve him and he wouldn’t leave, but…that didn’t mean that silly marriage proposal was serious too.

“So, are we eating dinner or what?” Lucy asked, letting Happy go and stretching.

“I got it,” Natsu said, getting up and leaving them all gaping in shock at his back.

“Did he just offer to buy us food?” Lucy asked.

“He did,” Happy said, and he sounded concerned. “He’s been acting weird lately.” The feline’s eyes slid to Gray, and the Ice Mage blushed, unable to stand up to the speculation in that usually simple gaze. Did the cat know about Natsu’s Mating Season?

Natsu’s Mate had fed him three times now. Maybe the Dragonslayer couldn’t cook, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be a good provider. He internally groaned at his attempts to court Gray. Buying him food was unusual, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from making attempts that would look even stranger. At least he had no inclination to kill some animal and drop its carcass in front of Gray to prove he was a good hunter. He was pretty sure Igneel and other real dragons would.

“Why are you buying them food?” Happy asked. The cat was suddenly on his shoulder.

Damn, he knew his buddy was catching on, but he didn’t want to discuss his hopeless situation with Gray. “They’re our friends. And…Lucy has been feeding you fish and Gray fed me three times now, so it seems fair to return the favor, right?”

“I can fish to repay Lucy,” Happy said softly. He knew there was more here.

“Lucy doesn’t want fish. We have plenty of money from that job; it won’t hurt to be nice.”

“What did Gray feed you?”

“He-uh…he’s good at cooking.” He couldn’t tell Happy that he had a homemade feast last night. Not only would the cat be jealous, he’d probably pick up on the strange dynamics that had formed between Natsu and his unwitting Mate.

“Well, he must not hate you as much as he used to if he’s feeding you when he doesn’t have to.”

Natsu smiled as he got up to the bar. “No, he doesn’t hate me anymore.”

“And you don’t hate him, right?” Happy was sure Natsu’s weird behavior had to do with his rival. Gray was acting strange too.

“No, not for a while now. The Ice Princess is actually kind of nice, once we get over the urge to beat each other up.”

Happy sat on the bar and looked at the Dragonslayer’s face closely when he asked, “But you still want to beat each other up?”

He would always respect his Mate’s strength. And, yes, he still loved to challenge that strength with his own. “Not sure we’ll ever stop.”

“Good. You and Gray aren’t acting like you normally do. It’s weird.”

“It’s no fun to beat up a sick guy. We’ll be fighting again in no time.” And soon that would be as close as he could get to his Mate. Tonight was their last bath.

“Well, I’m going to beat Lucy tonight and eat all her treats. She won most of the rounds last night.”

Natsu laughed. “You show her not to mess with you when food is on the line.” As Mirajane came to take their order, the Dragonslayer was already thinking about how tonight would go.

There was a desperate urge inside him, raking at him with claws to claim his Mate. His libido was out of control after all the time spent with his Mate and not Mating or even marking him to show his claim. The Dragonslayer felt a large amount of pride at how well he was doing to not get hard. Of course, he’d gotten off five times that afternoon before coming to dinner to take the edge off.

Waiting for Natsu to return, Gray chatted with Lucy while he pondered the pink-haired man’s strange behavior. He supposed it wasn’t a stretch that maybe Natsu wanted to repay all the cooking Gray did for him. And after they ate here, they would go back to the Ice Mage’s house for one last bath. It was hard to stay calm. Especially when part of him wanted to take this last opportunity to get as close as he could to Natsu.

But that would be stupid. He’d never slept with anyone; never really found anyone he wanted to pursue. It was entirely possible that somewhere in his mind, even before they had become real friends, no one measured up to the Dragonslayer. And sleeping with the man he loved when he knew that Natsu was going to lose interest soon and break his heart anyway would be emotional suicide.

Last bath. Then it was all over. This wasn’t going to end well for either of them.

(-)

Nothing was said on the walk to Gray’s house. Both worried about how far the other wanted to go, and both worried about exposing their secret to the other. When the front door closed behind them, it was like a switch had flipped.

Gray was pinned to the door under a fiery kiss, needy and unyielding. He barely managed to gasp before a hot tongue invaded. It was difficult to muster any effort to resist, but he knew he had to. The Ice Mage was already hard, but he put his hands on Natsu’s chest and pushed a little.

The Dragonslayer instantly relented, taking a few steps back and covering his mouth. “I’m sorry! I shouldn’t…I’m going to start washing.” And he disappeared down the hall into the bathroom without letting Gray say a word.

The Ice Mage followed, concerned that when he got there, Natsu was naked and facing towards the corner, making it impossible to see his expression. “It’s okay, you know.” He’d lost all his clothes between there and the front door, so he just took off his necklace and set it next to Natsu’s clothes. “I’m not mad.”

Not yet, but that was just the tip of an iceberg of loss of self-control. Natsu felt himself slipping already. His only salvation was that he’d never force his Mate. All Gray had to do was say “no” or push him away, and he’d stop. At least his instincts gave him that.

His Mate was aroused already, and that wasn’t helping. Five orgasms or not, the Dragonslayer was already getting hard. He knew he could go at least five more rounds if Gray let him. His body wanted to satisfy his Mate to let him claim him.

“Really. That wasn’t bad.” He heard his Mate set his stool behind Natsu. “Let me wash your back, okay?”

Cold hands on his hot skin in what was more a backrub than washing actually soothed him. He expected it to key him up further, but Gray was trying to relax Natsu, and it worked. The Dragonslayer let a little sigh escape him. “Thanks.”

This was dumb, and he knew it was dumb, but Natsu got to touch him all over when he was sick or immobilized, so why shouldn’t he be allowed to return the favor? Gray started dragging his nails down that tan skin in an experiment, enjoying the gasp it got him. He noticed the Dragonslayer’s arm moving in a way that indicated something other than washing, and he couldn’t stop himself.

He was loving the backrub until his Mate started scratching him. It felt incredible, and he had to take care of himself before he lost control. Natsu tried hard not to think about how Gray’s nails would feel scraping down his back when he was inside the Ice Mage, how his Mate would scream his name and plead with him. As his hand sped up, he realized he wasn’t trying hard enough.

But then that cold hand slid around his burning hot dick, and he moaned. When it started moving, all he could say was, “Oh, fuck, Gray.”

“I can’t measure up to that blowjob you gave me, but I should be decent at this.” Really, he didn’t think he could trump any of Natsu’s instincts with his lack of experience, but the Dragonslayer didn’t seem to mind letting him try.

“It feels so fucking goooood. Please don’t stop, please!” Natsu’s hips were moving to meet his downward motions and that pink head was leaning back onto his shoulder. The dark gaze that turned to meet his was smoldering.

‘Just tonight,’ they both thought before their lips met.

The way Gray had taken the situation (and Natsu) in hand made the Dragonslayer wonder how it would feel to let go completely. He had no illusions that if he ever got to Mate Gray, he would always be dominant. No, they’d always had a back-and-forth relationship, and sex would be no different.

“I won’t stop till you’re done, Natsu. Just relax and let me take care of you this time.”

Yes, his Mate would take care of him. Gray was perfect for him; Natsu didn’t say it for no reason. And he obeyed, letting himself fall back against his Mate, letting every noise he felt escape him.

Holy fuck this was hot. The Dragonslayer was giving Gray control, whimpering and pleading and moaning wantonly. It made him want to try harder. He wanted to hear and feel and taste more of what Natsu had to offer.

Teeth at his neck had him crying out and baring his throat further. “Yes! Just like that…oh, fuck, keep biting me.”

All that hard muscle was getting harder. Natsu really did like his neck bitten. His moans and cries and whimpers were getting progressively desperate, and Gray knew he was close. “You’re gonna cum, aren’t you?” A whimper and a nod made him grin. He remembered Natsu asking for his permission, and how good that felt. “Go on. Be a good boy and cum for me.”

Why did he like hearing that? Natsu erupted when Gray told him to, heat searing through him as he spilled all over the Ice Mage’s hand. He’d never gotten that high before, and his body wouldn’t calm.

“You needed this pretty badly didn’t you? Your cum is burning me.” And it felt fantastic. “Can’t stop, can you? God, it’s like I’ve got a wild animal letting loose in my arms.” Because his other hand had slid around Natsu to pull him close the way Natsu had been holding Gray.

Slowly calming, Natsu was still shaking and whimpering as he said, “My God, Gray. That was incredible.”

“Glad to hear it,” Gray said, smiling. “Mating Season gives you some impressive perks.”

Suddenly Natsu felt less good. That lie was horrible, even if it had let him get away with all of this. Gray might be a good friend to help him with this, and he might even enjoy Natsu’s attentions, but he didn’t see that he was the only one who could do this to the Dragonslayer; who could make him feel this way.

“When we finish washing, can I taste you again?” he asked. He knew Gray was still hard, and the little gasp close to his ear plus the surge of arousal told him that was the right offer to satisfy his Mate. “You don’t like me mentioning it, but I like your cum.”

It was like Natsu was determined to embarrass him to death. “Why?!”

Natsu turned to look into those deep blue eyes. “Because you taste good. I could eat you up all day, keep going until you’re completely dry of pleasure.”

“Nobody’s cum tastes good,” Gray said.

Rage flared up in Natsu, and suddenly Gray was on the floor, pinned down by a jealous Dragonslayer. “Have you tasted a lot of it?”

“What?! No! But everybody knows it doesn’t taste good. Get the hell off me, Natsu!”

And he was suddenly free. Gray sat up on his elbows to eye the pink-haired man, who wouldn’t meet his gaze. “What was that about?”

“I’m sorry.”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

Natsu sighed. “You just made it sound like you knew a lot about it. Like…you had a lot of experience…”

Oh, was he jealous because he thought Gray knew more than him about all this? Yeah, he was pretty sure Natsu had never done this; the idiot was too much like a child with no interest in women. Or men, until this.

“You know I’ve never dated, Natsu. Where do you think I would experience any of this then?”

That nose was at his throat, and that hot tongue slid up the length of it. “Really? You’re a virgin too?”

Gray knew he was blushing, but Natsu seemed so excited by the idea that he didn’t feel any real shame about it. “Yeah.”

His Mate was _his_! Only ever his! It was like a dream, an unshared Mate. No one else could claim to have seen the things he’d seen, or to know what he knew about Gray. Which was good, because the temptation to hunt down and kill any past lovers of his Mate was very real.

Not wanting to discuss it anymore, Natsu just nipped at Gray’s ear before whispering, “Can I taste you, Gray?”

When the Ice Mage nodded, he slid down his body and helped himself. That cool hard flesh sliding into his mouth felt good. The way his Mate tensed and started cursing felt even better. He was good at pleasing his Mate.

Crazy idiot. Complimenting his cum. Gray couldn’t hold anything back, not after the last time when Natsu told him not to. “Fuck! If anybody should be jealous about somebody probably having experience, it’s me. You really know your way around a dick.”

Natsu pulled off and met Gray’s eyes. “Only yours. I don’t want any dick but yours.” He held the eye contact as he took the Ice Mage in again, and it made it all too intense.

Not long after, Gray said, “Cumming!” right before he filled up the Dragonslayer’s mouth. And Natsu really did seem to relish consuming Gray’s cum. Gray was in love with the weirdest guy. It wasn’t like that was big news, though. And all his weirdness was part of why Gray loved him.

But stupid Natsu was getting his hopes up with the “I don’t want any dick but yours” nonsense. Not fair that he could follow his instincts to say whatever he wanted while Gray had to keep quiet. Granted that he’d already said and done more than he should that night. “We should wash up.”

They were quiet as they washed, and when they got in the bathtub, Gray was anxiously awaiting that special temperature where he would melt into Natsu’s arms. Without realizing it, he had come to relish being helpless and trusting and relying on the Dragonslayer to keep him safe.

When his Mate collapsed bonelessly into his arms, Natsu drew him as close as he could and immediately began pressing kisses on his neck and shoulder, interspersed with nosing along that same skin. He was already hard again, of course, but that didn’t matter just then. Holding Gray was the most important thing. That closeness, that intimate embrace was going to be beyond his reach soon.

It was weird that Natsu didn’t want to get off. Gray could feel his scorching desire pressed against him, but the Dragonslayer just wanted to nuzzle him. “You don’t want to use me to rut against?”

He really didn’t like that word: “use”. “I want your help, yeah. But can I wait? I just want to hold you a while.”

What a strange thing to ask. “Of course, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to. And…I don’t mind being held.”

Natsu gently nipped at his Mate’s neck, longing to sink his teeth in and mark him. Instead, he kept showing other little affections, adding licking into the mix. He even switched sides, coating all of Gray’s skin in his love.

Gray was surprised when a hot hand slid through his hair not once, but over and over, getting it wet with bathwater, but it wasn’t like they wouldn’t be washing again anyway. And this was proof enough he hadn’t imagined his tingling scalp that first night. Natsu had been turning his Mating instincts loose on Gray while he slept. But if that was the worst advantage he took of his sleeping rival, the Ice Mage was fine with it.

“You touched me like this during our first bath, didn’t you?” Gray asked, feeling drowsy already.

“I did. You were coughing and fell asleep with me rubbing your back. I liked taking care of you. How could you tell?”

“’s nice,” Gray said, not really answering. His breathing evened out moments later, and Natsu smiled. The trust the Ice Mage showed the Dragonslayer by falling asleep with him while helpless said a lot. Even if they weren’t Mated, Gray was his friend, and he trusted Natsu with his life.

They stayed like that for over half an hour, just nuzzling and petting. But the fire in him grew more insistent, his hot erection getting painful as his punishment for neglecting it. “Gray?” He bit a little harder on the shoulder in front of him. “Wake up now, okay.” He felt bad for disturbing his Mate’s rest to fulfill his own needs, but it wasn’t something he could do while his Mate was sleeping. Nothing would happen that his Mate didn’t agree to.

The Ice Mage stirred, head tingling and feeling wonderfully relaxed. “Natsu?”

“Will you let me get off? And please don’t say I’m using you; that’s so far from the truth.” That was still bothering him.

Natsu didn’t like that phrasing? He supposed it did sound a bit shady and impersonal. The Dragonslayer’s passion was anything but that. “Okay. Go ahead and move. God, your dick feels so hot on my skin.”

It was a relief to thrust against his Mate, feel that smooth skin slide against him. Gray had some scars, but most of him was beautiful pale perfection. “You’re so perfect. I’d never use you, Gray. You’re important, precious. Nothing I would ever abuse.”

His eyes were stinging from Natsu’s words. There it was again, that careless abandon that made Gray feel special. And it must be smelling the salt of the Ice Mage’s unshed tears that tipped off the Dragonslayer, because Natsu came to an abrupt halt.

“Why are you crying? Did I do something wrong? I promise I never want to hurt you, not like this.”

That innocent concern paired with gentle kisses on his skin was painful. “Just don’t say things like that, please. Just don’t.”

The Dragonslayer had let his mouth and instincts run away from him again, and again they had hurt his Mate. He wasn’t sure why exactly Gray didn’t like what he said, but if he didn’t want Natsu to do it, he wouldn’t. “Okay.”

Since the last time this happened Gray assured him he hadn’t gone too far physically, the Dragonslayer picked up where he had left off. And he knew something that, as far as he could tell, didn’t hurt his Mate. “Fuck, you feel so good, Gray. For being the badass warrior mage that you are, your skin has no right to be this soft and smooth. God, I could do this forever if it wasn’t so fucking amazing that I can’t help but cum.”

It was more eloquent than his usual physical praise, but Gray could trust it was sincere. It was actually very flattering as Natsu’s hips picked up speed. When they reached a desperate tempo, an element of this that Gray really enjoyed was still missing. “You can’t help it?”

Natsu didn’t miss a beat. “Can I cum, Gray? Please?”

God, that begging for permission would make Gray painfully hard if it could. “Go on. Cum for me, Natsu.”

He was so close, but there was one more thing he wanted to hear. He didn’t know why, but he liked it. Hoping he wouldn’t have to ask directly, he just asked, “Can I really? Are you sure?”

The words came automatically. “I’m sure. Be a good boy and cum for me.”

There! Every muscle tightened as his cock spilled. His arms held his Mate tight to him and his hips kept moving. Crying out uncontrollably, he took a small bite of that perfect flesh before he started saying all those things Gray didn’t like. Because he was perfect and precious and important. The Dragonslayer loved his Mate. But he couldn’t say a word of it.

It took a little while for the Dragonslayer to fully calm, and Gray _wanted_. He wanted that relief, that pleasure, even if he wasn’t hard yet. If they’d never do this again, he’d be damned if he didn’t get Natsu to touch him. And he let go of his pride, his façade, just a little. “Will you pleasure me too, Natsu? I want you to make me cum too. For real, not while I’m immobile like this.”

As if he would deny a request like that from his Mate. “I was actually thinking of something already. Been distracting me all day.” And fueling his fantasies to masturbate to stay calm. He’d scarcely hoped for the opportunity to try. It was probably over the line.

Gray felt the water recede, meaning Natsu had already opened the drain. He wondered what had distracted Natsu so much. It sounded promising. “Gonna tell me what’s had your attention?”

“Mmmm, I’d rather show you. You can stop me anytime you want; I’d never force you.”

“I know you wouldn’t. Go on and show me.” As soon as it was unsubmerged, his cock was swelling to full readiness.

In a sudden blur of movement, Gray was on his back in the empty tub with Natsu hovering over him. A hot hand on his dick drew a loud moan he didn’t attempt to control. The Dragonslayer licked his lips and leaned in to whisper in the Ice Mage’s ear, “Seeing you like this, it won’t take long for me to get hard again. You have no idea that you’re an unfairly seductive bastard, do you?”

A hard bite paired with that hand had Gray shaking. “You don’t get to talk about being an unfair bastard.” And he used his newly free arms to rake his nails down the Dragonslayer’s back.

God, something like a roar escaped Natsu. Gray’s hands were suddenly pinned above his head, a little awkward and uncomfortable given the angle of the tub. He could have fought it, but he didn’t want to. Especially when Natsu dragged his rapidly hardening dick along the length of Gray’s.

“This is so dangerous. You have no idea the kind of fire you’re playing with.”

It was almost a threat. But the Ice Mage wasn’t afraid. He met that dark, fiery gaze and said, “You won’t hurt me. You won’t force me. I trust you, Natsu.” And the Dragonslayer seemed to melt.

His Mate trusted him. He had been so tempted, especially when Gray clawed him, to try and claim his Mate. Technically Gray could stop him, but with those words, he realized he didn’t want anything unless his Mate agreed to everything.

“Whether you know why or not, you handle my fire better than anyone else.”

Gray grinned. “I have more experience with your fire than anyone else. Pretty much every day of our lives since we met.”

“I had no idea when I met that stupid little stripper that I’d ever be so glad about it. God, no one could stoke my fire like you, never.” He was pushing it, he knew, but there was no denying the truth to his words.

“And when that pink-haired little moron walked into the guild and made every day a challenge to prove I was better, I had no clue that I’d be grateful I met him. Fuck, Natsu.” Gray was getting overwhelmed with the intimacy of their actions, both fully participating, and he couldn’t keep his emotions in check. Especially when Natsu said that about his fire. It was true, even if he didn’t mean it like Gray took it.

When Gray wasn’t fighting it, it was easy for Natsu to transfer both wrists into one hand. The Dragonslayer pulled one of Gray’s legs around his back, drawing a gasp from the Ice Mage at the greater exposure. Then he grabbed Gray’s ass to get better leverage and force for his thrusts.

“Oh, FUCK, Natsu! When it’s like that, I…” He couldn’t say it. He wanted Natsu to take him. Wanted that hand to slide between and prepare him, wanted to feel that scorching dick press inside and fuck him until he was screaming. And since Natsu was in his Mating Season, he probably wouldn’t say no if Gray asked.

But he retained enough sanity to remind himself that tonight was the end, not the beginning. And while it was tempting to end like that, it would kill him eventually. Since he hadn’t struggled, it was easy for him to break Natsu’s lax grip and dig his fingernails into his back. “Don’t stop. God, don’t stop.”

His Mate wanted him. He wasn’t being allowed to escape, and his Mate was begging him to finish. And at this point, he’d die before he disappointed his Mate. The whole guild could walk in and stare and he’d just finish up and enjoy his Mate’s screams. And they were both close already, he could tell.

“Are you gonna cum, Gray? God, you’re shaking so hard I’d think you were freezing if I didn’t know better.”

“Bastard. Of course I’m gonna cum. You are too. You’re getting ready to spurt that burning cum all over me.” He couldn’t wait.

Suddenly Natsu’s forehead was pressed against his, and those dark eyes were intent. “Can I? Can I cum all over you and mix our scents until it’s all I can smell?”

By now he had figured out what Natsu was asking for, other than permission. “Be a good boy and cum all over me.”

He wasn’t ready for lips to cover his as he was deliciously burned. But he definitely didn’t mind. He found his release moments later when a hot tongue invaded his mouth, taking what it wanted and leaving him dizzy. Although it also might have been that he had never cum that hard before. Nothing had ever felt as good as Natsu. Nothing ever would.

It was a sobering thought as his mouth was released, both of them panting heavily. The end. As wonderful as all this was, it was the end. But he could bask in the glow a little longer.

His Mate smelled incredible. Their cum mingled together to make the most delicious scent. And since the Dragonslayer was lying on top of his Mate, the scent would soak into him too. God, it was going to haunt him. Because this was the best thing that would ever happen to him. Everything else was downhill. Back to being just Gray’s friend and teammate, back to not being able to touch him.

“We should wash up,” the Ice Mage said. And, reluctantly, Natsu obeyed and got out.

They were almost done when the Dragonslayer finally spoke. “Maybe we could keep doing this.”

It was like a fist was crushing Gray’s chest. His eyes stung as he said, “I don’t think we should. It would be a bad idea.”

“Okay.” It was a short terse word before Gray heard a flurry of movement behind him. He turned in time to see Natsu dressed, still dripping wet, and walking out.

God, he couldn’t blame Natsu for being upset. He was dealing with a lot, and Gray was no longer willing to help him. But Gray’s heart couldn’t take much more of this. It was better to end it now. Even if it made him cry. Even if he didn’t sleep tonight. It was better.

(-)

He didn’t get drunk often, but the next day Gray had just settled at a table with a drink, ready to mope, when the Metal Dragonslayer sat across from him. “Glad you and your boyfriend finally got your shit together.”

The Ice Mage flushed, torn between embarrassment and despair. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“You reek of each other.”

Right, he still smelled like Natsu. He liked that idea. He wondered how long it would take for that to fade. “It was just his Mating Season, nothing special,” Gray said dispassionately. He didn’t care. If he said it enough, maybe it would become true someday.

Gajeel busted out laughing. “Is that what he told you?! What an asshole.”

“Wait….what? I don’t understand.” What was so funny about Natsu’s Mating Season?

The Dragonslayer still chuckled as he said, “Think of it this way, Princess: he didn’t tell you he was in heat. And he’s part dragon. So who would a dragon go to in their ‘Mating Season’?” Air quotes were added to “Mating Season” with a snort of derision.

Was he really implying that Gray was actually…Natsu’s Mate? No, surely he’d be more territorial (that incident with Juvia), affectionate (all the kissing and nuzzling), or at least respectful (always asking permission and making sure Gray was comfortable with what they were doing)…and, okay, maybe it wasn’t so crazy. Except that it was.

“There’s nothing casual or temporary about how that idiot feels about you. The fact that he’d rather lie than try to keep you means he’s a coward, damn scared of something stupid.” Gajeel let out a brief laugh.

Gray felt irritation rise up inside him at that statement. “Natsu isn’t a coward.”

“Really? So he told you that you’re literally the only one for him and asked to keep you forever?” When Gray just scowled, Gajeel said, “He’s a fucking coward.”

“Stop calling him that!” He wasn’t going to sit and listen to the Metal Head talk shit about the guy he was in love with.

“Gonna make me?” It was a jeer that just dared the Ice Mage to try.

Gajeel clearly didn’t expect Gray to take him up on it, because when the Ice Mage lunged over the table and punched him, it made him tip in his chair. And fuck, those piercings made his hand hurt. The hall got quiet until the Metal Dragonslayer started laughing wholeheartedly, at which point everyone went about their business. “And that’s how a Mate should behave.” There was clear satisfaction in the statement.

Wait…was all of this shit Gajeel’s way of being supportive? It felt like a big brother vetting his little brother’s new boyfriend. Actually, it was like a big brother telling their little brother’s crush to ask them out because they knew the little brother was too shy.

“Did you want this to happen?”

The Dragonslayer snorted. “If I had to watch Flame-Brain pine over his Mate for years instead of claiming him, I’d kill one or both of you.”

He acted uncaring, but Gray saw through it. “Pretty tough words for a guy I’m now convinced is sweet and squishy under all that metal.”

“You want to fight?!” It sounded defensive, and Gray laughed.

“No. And if all Dragonslayers have Mates…how is Levy these days? I always wondered why you lurk in the library. You don’t strike me as a big reader.”

A very low growl emitted from the Metal Dragonslayer. “Don’t push it.”

“Just don’t expect Natsu to go any easier on you when he figures it out.”

“Hmph. Maybe I’ll just take care of it before then.”

Gray liked seeing this side of Gajeel. He wasn’t just a short-tempered asshole with dubious moral standards. “That seems ideal. We have two Dragonslayers; it would be nice if they both had their Mates, right?” He got up. “Thanks for this, Gajeel. Tell Levy I said hi.”

As he walked away he heard the Dragonslayer yell, “Get bent!” and chuckled to himself. Who would have thought the Tin Man had a heart? Even less expected was how he looked out for Natsu. Because if Gray was Natsu’s Mate, the little idiot had told lies and done things that had been about to cause both of them an unnecessary extreme amount of pain for God knew how long until one of them broke and they finally resolved it.

Now to find Natsu, because the giddiness that he’d been taking out on teasing the Metal Dragonslayer needed to be redirected to the proper source.

Mirajane was his best bet; she saw everything. Before he got to her, Lucy and Happy got to him. “Hey, what is going on?! Natsu looks like hell, and I don’t think you slept last night either. You both look like you’ve been crying.” Lucy was obviously not going to take any vague excuses.

Happy leapt at him to hit his head. “What did you do to Natsu?!”

Lucy grabbed the little cat, who hadn’t stopped hitting the Ice Mage. “Just tell us, Gray. What happened?”

“I’ll tell you later. First I need to find Natsu.”

“You just missed him. He asked me to keep Happy longer because he wanted to take a job that would keep him away for a while.”

Alarm raced through Gray. “Crap! That idiot!” He looked over at Gajeel, who just scowled.

When Gray went back, the Dragonslayer said, “Oh no, you aren’t going to make fun of me and then ask me for a favor.”

“Help me catch up to Natsu, please. I won’t be able to find him before he’s out of town.”

“You’re an asshole.” Gray just gave Gajeel a pleading look. “You’re going to be insufferable until he gets back, aren’t you?” Gray kept staring. “Ugh, I hate you. Try to keep up, Princess.”

Gray grinned and dashed out of the guild hall on Gajeel’s heels.

(-)

Natsu looked very confused, as well he might when Gajeel was running at him, leading Gray. When they stopped, the Metal Dragonslayer glared between the two and said, “Now settle this or I’ll skin you both.”

When he was gone, Gray looked at Natsu. “He told me, Natsu. I know.” When those dark eyes got wide, he added, “You’re an idiot.”

The Fire Dragonslayer turned abruptly and took a step to leave. Gray lunged at him and tackled him to the ground. “No! You don’t get to run away anymore. Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“You were just being nice to me because of that stupid lie!”

The Ice Mage growled. “Flame-Brain, how many guys do you know who let you wreck them with pleasure and do weird Mating habits on them just to be ‘nice’?”

There wasn’t a great answer for that, because Natsu had never thought about doing any of this with anyone other than his Mate. Maybe it wasn’t normal to do that with close friends. “What happened to, ‘I strip, you sniff; we’re both weird’? How should I know how a guy normally responds to his friend wanting to Mate him and keep him forever?!”

He heard a gasp from one direction and a chuckle from the other, and Gray realized they were having this loud conversation in the middle of the street in broad daylight. Getting up and pulling Natsu with him, he pulled him away until they found an alley to hide in. “I couldn’t say anything serious when, from what I was told, the guy I loved was going to get over his desire for me after an unknown period of time. And then you try and leave?! We were both about to be in a world of pain because you lied and didn’t just tell me how you fel-”

Natsu abruptly pushed Gray into the wall, and there was something like desperation in his tone when he asked, “You love me?”

Unable to contain a snort, Gray said, “Yeah, why else would I ask Gajeel to help me track you down before you left?”

“I kind of thought you wanted to tell me off and beat me up,” Natsu said, face nuzzling into Gray’s neck with more fervor than usual. His hands drew the Ice Mage close with overly-possessive force.

“I do!”

The Dragonslayer laughed. “I guess that’s just us. But I was leaving because I let my instincts get the best of me and I knew I couldn’t let you go. If I stayed I’d be all over you. God, even now…”

Sliding a hand into that pink hair, Gray yanked the Dragonslayer away from his neck and kissed him. It took all of a second for Natsu to respond, pinning him to the wall and sliding into his mouth with a greedy desperation that still asserted his dominance. And for once, Gray didn’t mind. Not that he didn’t intend to dominate Natsu later, but at that moment he was content to let his Dragonslayer take what he wanted.

When they had to part for air, Natsu pressed their foreheads together and met Gray’s eyes. “I love you. I want to make you my Mate and never let you go. You understand, right? Once you’re mine, there’s no turning back. I couldn’t let you leave if I tried.”

Gray swallowed heavily. “I’m not letting you Mate me in a damn alley. And didn’t you just take a job?”

“Is that a ‘no’?” Natsu asked, hands going to Gray’s wrists and pinning them almost painfully to the wall.

“Of course I want to be your Mate. But neither of us wants to disgrace the guild by taking a job and not following through.”

It was true. Natsu had made a promise, and he always kept his promises. “Come with me. We can do the job together.”

That sounded perfect. Just like them to adventure and fight. “And get dragon-married somewhere along the way? Count me in.”

“I can’t wait to make you mine…but I’ll have to. Let’s get your stuff and go.”

As they headed to Gray’s house, the Ice Mage laughed. “You know, for as long as we’ve known each other, we’ve had a ‘till death do us part’ feel to our relationship. But since we’re life-long rivals, it was kind of assumed one of us would eventually kill the other.”

“I like this ending better,” Natsu said.

“Yeah, but it’s really a beginning. Mating me won’t take long compared to spending the rest of our lives together.” Gray hadn’t made many plans for the future that didn’t involve getting powerful and beating Natsu. “Even without this, we really were going to be together, weren’t we? You’ve never been a person I could let get away from me, not even when we were kids and I hated you.”

“But once I realized you were my Mate, that would never have been enough. I’m lucky I get to keep you.”

Gray smiled. “I’m pretty lucky too.” After a moment, he slid his arm around Natsu’s waist. “This is so fucking sappy.” He laughed a little.

“Want me to hit you, Stripper?”

“Maybe when we’re on the road, Pinkie.” A warmth that the Ice Mage could only relish filled him. Loving Natsu, fighting him, Mating him…it was unbelievable that he got to have the best of all the worlds. That he got to have Natsu.

His Mate loved him. His Mate wanted to be his forever. It was like some kind of magic he couldn’t believe. He resigned himself to a life alone when he realized that his life-long rival was his Mate. If someone had told him the day he realized that Gray Fullbuster would get the help of Gajeel to chase after him to agree to be Natsu’s Mate, he would have punched them for making up ridiculous stories designed to get his hopes up. But it was real. Gray was his Mate, and he was real. Life was going to be amazing, as long as he had Gray.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, hope you don’t hate me since they aren’t actually Mated yet. But I think I’ll need to either add chapters or make a sequel. This is done for now, though. Let me know how you feel; it’s been a while since I finished a fic of any length other than a one shot!

**Author's Note:**

> So, a lot fluffier since they’ve both individually admitted to themselves that they like the other one. Natsu will have a harder time of it, though.
> 
> I hope this tickles your fancy; feel free to review if you like! Makes meh happeh.


End file.
